Stress has so many negative effects on the mind and body. When you’re stressed, your body releases cortisol, a hormone that causes visceral fat to accumulate, and puts unneeded wear and tear on the body. The more stress you’re under, the more likely you are to live an unhealthier lifestyle.
So, how do you keep your stress —and your physique — in check?
Relax your body and mind with these helpful techniques:
#1 Begin your day with your workout. The sooner you get it done, the less likely other things will get in your way. Also getting the endorphins flowing lowers your stress levels as well!
#2 Focus on Breath. “When you take a deep breath, you force the diaphragm to engage, which sends the ‘all clear’ signal to the nervous system and triggers the relaxation response,” Here is a great breathing technique to keep you feeling calm and collected …
Sit comfortably with a straight spine.
Place your hands gently over your eyes to shut out the light. Rest your index fingers on your brow to calm your thoughts, and your pinkie fingers on your cheeks as a reminder to keep them soft. Use your thumbs to plug your ears to silence any sound. Let your elbows rest downward. ‘
Keep your lips gently closed, with your teeth parted slightly
Exhale all the air out of your lungs. Inhale through your nose, then exhale slowly while making a steady humming, buzzing sound. This is one round.
Repeat 10 times.
#3 Visualize Your Day and What you Want – When you visualize your day , close your eyes and imagine a serene, relaxing place envision what your perfect day would look like. Engage all your senses to hear, feel, touch and smell the scene, and focus on the way that the calm environment makes you feel. You can also think back to the last time you felt complete relaxation and set yourself back in that scene — feeling a positive emotion in combination with a mental image will boost your visualization experience and lead you to a less stressful day!
#4 Eat a good breakfast and have your lunch and dinner ready to go – When you have your meals prepared and start your day out with a breakfast filled with protein, healthy fats, and veggies you will feel happier and healthier which will automatically relieve stress. Then if you have your lunch with you and dinner already prepared or planned when you get home, you will now be on your way to stress-free living!
#5 Get up Earlier – People who wake up early are more chipper and satisfied with life than those who linger under the covers. You also get much more accomplished in the early hours so you are not stressed when distractions or situations come up that need to be handled that were not planned.
Stay Happy Fit Ones and elevate the stress …
Fit Chic