Stress from work, relationships, or finances can impact your health and happiness. Stress can lead to heart disease, and has even been shown to suppress your immune system. Some people are so stressed that they have trouble sleeping and focusing on their responsibilities.
Sadly, too many people struggle with everyday stress and the weight that this puts on them. But you don’t have to live with this stress. Here are some relaxation exercises that can help your body naturally combat stress so that you can breathe easier, manage daily responsibilities better, live happier, and protect your health. All you need is your own body and access to a local fitness center.
Yoga and Meditation
Yoga engages muscles throughout your body, and can actually help you lose weight without being as strenuous and high-impact as cardio or lifting weights. The focus on steady breathing and slow, deliberate movements relaxes you as you burn calories. A local health fitness center can provide guided classes that help you get the most from your yoga practice in a comfortable environment.
Meditation, meanwhile, can go hand-in-hand with yoga or be performed on its own. Meditation is simply the practice of calming your mind by concentrating on your breath and the physical sensations throughout your body. This practice has been proven to drastically relieve bodily and mental stress, and it doesn’t have to take too much time out of your busy schedule. A daily practice of even just five minutes of meditation can effectively reduce your overall stress.
Body Scan
Try this simple exercise to release stress. Lie back on a soft surface and close your eyes. Place your arms alongside your body. Now focus on every part of your body, starting with your feet. Engage your muscles and feel your feet tense, then relax. Now do your calves, thighs, hips, stomach, chest, and arms. Your body will start to feel heavy as you give into relaxation. Fitness centers provide mats and open spaces where you can perform relaxation techniques like these before or after a workout.
Deep Breaths
Lie back and close your eyes. Breathe in and out quietly. Feel your breath expand your chest, then feel the air rush out of your nose or mouth as you exhale. Concentrate on making full, deep breaths. Your body will naturally de-stress and relax. Breathing exercises like this can actually help you relieve stress and even improve your breathing when you perform more strenuous exercises, like jogging or cycling.
Fitness center services offer exercises like yoga, as well as more active exercise classes, that can help you work off your stress. These techniques can actually improve the way that you exercise, making it more enjoyable and effective.
If you want to try these relaxation techniques in a communal space or want to learn how to combine these techniques with yoga and other workouts, visit Mountainside Fitness. They offer group classes for the entire family, including child and adult classes, as well as state-of-the-art equipment and amenities that make every visit feel like a relaxing indulgence, even when you break a sweat.
Try their fitness center services for 5 days and see what a difference it makes in your life. You’ll see why over 80,000 members call Mountainside Fitness their go-to hub for stress relief, and why it’s one of the most popular fitness clubs in Phoenix, AZ.
