If you are feeling stressed, you should not ignore it. While some stress is normal, persistent stress can have serious health consequences including increasing your risk for stroke and substance abuse, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Signs of stress will vary, but if you suffer from insomnia or have frequent colds, it may be a way that your body is telling you to calm down. Exercise can be an effective distraction and a way for you to let go of the stress in your life.
Walking
Walking provides many of the health benefits of other more rigorous exercises without the added strain on your joints. To relieve stress, you can use your walks as a type of walking meditation. When you focus on the action of walking, you can quiet the noise in your mind which is causing you stress. The slow, even pace of your step can lull you into a sense of calm. In order to get the most out of your walk, find a place that is peaceful and without distractions. In her book, "Mind Walks," Mary Frakes discusses how you can use mindful walking as a type of mental oil change to relieve stress and reconnect with your thoughts.
Cat/Cow Pose
According to MayoClinic.com, one of the many benefits of yoga is stress relief. Like walking, yoga is not about fast-paced movements. Rather, the focus is on precise movement in coordination with your breath. These types of exercises are referred to as mind-body exercises. The combination of the cat and cow poses will stretch your front and back muscles while massaging your internal organs. For the cat pose, begin on all-fours. Exhale as you push your back up, arching in a gentle stretch. Think of how a cat stretches when she wakes up from a nap. Inhale as you move into the opposite position of cow pose. Lift your chest and head up. Exhale as you return to your starting position. The wave-like motion combined with your rhythmic breath will relax you and help relieve stress in your spine and back.
Breathing Exercise
One sign of being stressed is an increase in your breathing rate. This action harkens back to the evolution of fight-or-flight responses. You breathe more rapidly to get more oxygen in your system in order to act. Breathing exercises help with stress by forcing you to slow down. The focus is your breath rather than the stressors. According to Web MD, you can relax by practicing deep belly breathing. Place a hand on both your belly and your chest. As you inhale through your nose, you can feel your chest rise. As you exhale through your mouth, imagine the stresses leaving your body as feel your belly relax.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Stress - Complications
- "Mind Walks"; M. Frakes; 1999
- Mayo Clinic: Yoga: Tap into the Many Health Benefits of Yoga
- Web MD: Stress Management: Breathing Exercises for Relaxation
- "Principles of Anatomy and Physiology"; G. Tortora and S. Reynolds Grabowski; 1996
