Reducing stress can add years to your life, but finding the time to relax seems impossible at times. A rainy day gives you the opportunity to head indoors and shake up your daily routine. Taking the time to explore new foods, new fitness activities and have some fun along the way will help you reduce stress. Los Angeles leads the way in fitness and nutritional trends and the city is a great place to start the adventure.
LA Yoga Studios
Yoga benefits both your mind and your body by reducing stress, helping to manage your weight and increasing your fitness level. Some of the country's best-known yoga teachers are based in the Los Angeles area. Take a class from the instructor or studio in your favorite yoga tape or workshop. All types of yoga are taught around the city, offering classes to fit every fitness level and style from ashtanga and hatha to kriya and kundalini yoga.
Local Fitness Classes
Everyone knows physical activity provides stress relief, but if you are just going through the motions of your workout, you don't release as many endorphins--the feel-good chemicals, according to the American Council on Exercise. ACE recommends trying a new class to jump-start your routine and your attitude. Los Angeles is ground zero for new-fangled fitness classes, so if boxing-ballet or trapeze-yoga sound fun, you'll find it in LA.
Local Art and Music
Improving your mood and lowering your heart rate and blood pressure are just two benefits of viewing art and listening to music, according to The Yale School of medicine website. All three major Los Angeles art museums--The Getty Center, the Los Angeles Museum of Art or the Museum of Contemporary Art--have world-class art collections on view. For music lovers listening to Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Walt Disney Concert Hall provides the same benefit.
Local Laughs
When Grandma said, 'laughter is the best medicine,' she knew what she was talking about. Laughter's stress-reducing benefits include, helping your organs work more effectively, relieving stomachaches and releasing endorphins, according to the Mayo Clinic website. Go see a show at one of the famous LA comedy clubs like the Comedy Store, The Laugh Factory or the Groundlings Theatre. They have incubated comedians like Jay Leno, Will Farrell and Dave Chappelle.
Local Foods
Eating fresh whole foods, rich in nutrients, boosts your immune system and reduces stress. Take a trip to the Los Angeles Farmers market and you'll find row after row of fresh fruits and vegetables to add to your diet.
Or try one of LA's many raw food or vegetarian restaurants. According to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, as the animal protein in your diet decreases, the health benefits of your food increases.
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