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Some simple ways to reduce stress…

Too much of stress can damage your health. Stress can be both mentally and emotionally challenging. Following a resilient approach to all the life’s problems and setbacks can make coping easier.

What is resilient approach?
Resilience involves the ability to face change and misfortune with realistic optimism, self confidence, and determination as you make an effort to adjust to and recover from challenges. Resilience helps people to maintain a good mood and protects them against negative thoughts.
Tips for increasing resilience in the face of challenges are:
- Credit should be given to self for the successes.
- Go easy on yourself if you make a mistake. Distract yourself in some other pleasurable activity.
- Try to view a mistake or setback as a learning opportunity.
- Find positive ways of looking to some situation and give away the negative thoughts.
- Be in touch with more positive people.
- Approach stressful situations with more flexibility and creativity.
- Learn the art of compromise in dealing with others.
- Face challenges.
- Embrace change.
- Use a step by step approach to problems.

One way to dissipate stress is by using your body, through the process of relaxing your muscles. When your muscles are tight or tense, the stress level of your body remains high. Shavaasana, also known as muscle relaxation, helps to reduce your stress levels. The way this works is, you focus on the major muscle groups one by one. What you need to do is, for each muscle group, tighten the muscle, keep tight for 20 seconds and slowly relax it. As you slowly relax your muscles, focus on the sensation of relaxation and feel your tension slowly getting released.

Is it possible to reduce problems like anxiety and depression through exercise?
Well yes, and there are some scientific reasons for the same. When stress levels are high, the body releases hormone such as adrenaline and cortisol. During exercise, the level of these hormones is reduced and exercise also leads to production of a chemical called endorphins. These are released by the brain and cause mood elevation and act as painkillers. When you exercise hard there can be a runner’s high, this is caused by endorphins.
The type of exercise is not that important as long as it leads to a workout for example: one of the easiest ways to do this is walking and jogging. This is another reason why elliptical trainers are getting more popular, because the vigorous workout not only help make you more fit but also reduce stress at the same time.

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Some quick and easy exercise routines….

A toned belly keeps the back healthy. Try pilates or yoga moves that work you ab and back muscles. Kickboxing, running or swimming are all great ab workouts. Always remember not to hold your breath while doing crunches as it can prove to be harmful and increase the blood pressure and heart rate especially during the moves that work on the side muscles.

To improve the coordination, balance and stability, do the following exercises without shoes:
- Spread toes apart like a fan.
- Flex your toes up towards you and then pointing them away.
- Move your foot in circles both clock-wise and anti clock-wise.
- Do toe curls as much as possible and then releasing them.
- With our foot flat on floor, lift the big toe without lifting the other toes and then try to lift little toes but not the big toe. Follow up by keeping your toes and heel on the floor and lifting up the arch of the foot.
- Use the toes on one foot to squeeze a towel on the floor.
- Keep heel in place and drag the towel from side to side.
- Use feet to pick up items and after having a grasp on the item, toss it away from you using your toes and leg.
- Stand with the outside edge of your foot against a wall and push your foot out into the wall. Switch the position so that the inside edge of the foot rests against the wall and push in against the wall.
- Roll a small rubber ball under the sole of your foot to massage it.

Staircases provide a good away to burn off calories in 15 minutes.
- For first 4 minutes, warm up by repeatedly walking up and down one flight of stairs maintaining a steady pace.
- For next two minutes, stand facing stairs. Step right foot to the right side of first stair. Do the same with left foot with left stair. Continue.
- For a minute, squat the jumps. Face the stairs, hop up with both feet and land in a squat. Hold for 2 counts and then jump up to next step.
- For next two minutes, stand with left side facing stairs, left foot on first step. Step right foot in front of left onto second step. Repeat. This is called left side cross steps.
- For next two minutes, stand with right side facing stairs, right foot on first step. Step left foot in front of right onto second step. Repeat. This is called right side cross steps.
- For next two minutes, do some step lunges. Step up two steps with right leg, bending knee 90 degrees into a lunge, bring hands down to touch step in front of you. Stand and repeat with left leg.
- For next two minutes, power walk up and down as fast as you can.

This is a 15 minute routine.

Some equipment to help you:

Quick Fix: Total Cardio Kick

The Best Pilates Core Workout Video

Pilates Workout Routine For Toning Butt ‘n Thighs

YOGA FOR WEIGHT LOSS

20 Minute Weight Loss & Fatburning Yoga Workout

10-Minute Cardio Kickboxing Workout