stress relief exercises

Lack of physical activity, improper diet, overthinking, and living in a toxic situation are some of the prime causes of stressed life. Until you start working on getting rid of stress, you won't be able to live your life peacefully. Going to a psychologist, taking anti-stress medicines, going on frequent vacations, and more are some ways to reduce stress, but they will be momentary.

According to several studies, one needs to remain consistent in leading stress away from life. At first, it might sound difficult for you. But with time and patience, you will soon feel relaxed and fresh. This is why maintaining a proper exercise routine every day is crucial for people suffering from stress. It doesn't matter whether your stress is at the first or advanced level; exercises can help you deal with the consequences of leading a stressed life.

How can exercises help get relief from stress?

ayurvedic stress relief exercises

Before learning about the top exercises you can perform at home to get rid of stress, you must understand how exercises can become a boon. In this following section, we have described how exercises will help you feel more rejuvenated, relaxed, refreshed, and energetic.

  1. Exercises help improve your mood. When you exercise for half an hour right after waking up from sleep, you compel your body to activate the muscles for the stretches and other workouts. This helps you feel much better and refreshed. As a result, you will be in a good mood for the rest of the day, with minimal stress.
  2. When you perform yoga, you can meditate to increase concentration and focus. This will further help you to pay attention to everything that is about to happen throughout the day. Neither will you be in a sour mood or feel stressed out even for meager things like assignment submission, giving a presentation, speaking in front of a vast crowd, and so on.
  3. Exercises stimulate the release of the indoor fence in your blood. These are natural pain relievers and induce the secretion of dopamine and serotonin in the blood. As a result, stress levels will come down by a significant amount.
  4. Exercise can also help you to fight chronic depression. As it allows you to relax, you will feel more rejuvenated and won't stress out over everything. Besides, you will also feel active physically. Therefore, doing any work won't be a problem anymore.
  5. Following a consistent exercise routine, every day can improve your sleep routine also. You won't have to deal with insomnia or poor sleep quality due to stress, anxiety, and depression. 

Top exercises for stress relief to try at home

Now that you know the benefits of exercising for a stress-free life, let's look at some of the best exercises you can do. Exercising will help you to have a good mood and concentrate on several things. But to make the most out of your stress-relieving journey, you should focus more on exercises that will benefit you in the long run.

In this following section, we will discuss the best exercises to relieve stress and improve overall health.

1. Meditation

meditation for stress relief

One of the most reliable and result-yielding exercises you can do to relieve stress is meditation. It helps calm down frenzied nerves and also helps you to increase your focus and concentration on several aspects. Plus, if you often suffer from anxiety and panic attacks, meditation can help you get relief from the periods. 

Following are some of the tips to remember while meditating:

  1. Choose a peaceful and calm ambiance so that no one can disturb you. 
  2. Use aromatic candles to lift the mood of the room. 
  3. If you find it difficult to concentrate while meditating, listen to calming and peaceful music. Please choose the instrumentals. 
  4. Follow a consistent routine for meditation with no breaks. 
  5. Select a particular time for meditation every day. 

2. Yoga

Another fantastic way to reduce stress is through yoga. It is a form of exercise that helps you establish a perfect balance between your physical, spiritual, and psychological health. According to many popular beliefs, there are several energy flow lines through your body. These are the source of your aura. If the energy flow is disrupted, you will feel stressed and depressed.

But with yoga, you can quickly restore the energy flow lines and channel your anger, resentment, and grief outside your mind. As you re-establish the energy lines, your psychological and physiological health will improve with each passing day. But not all yoga asanas and poses will help relieve stress and restore the perfect balance between the energies around your body. So, the following are some yoga poses you must include in your workout routine. 

  1. Sukhasana or easy pose
  2. Uttanasana or forward fold pose
  3. Balasana or child’s pose
  4. Garudasana or eagle pose
  5. Setu bandha sarvangasana or bridge pose
  6. Utthita trikonasana or extended triangle pose
  7. Marjaryasana or cat pose
  8. Viparita Karani or legs up the wall pose
  9. Savasana 

3. Tai-chi

stress relief exercise

Tai Chi is often considered meditation in motion because you need to perform each stretch or get into a pose almost immediately from the previous one. You cannot create breaks between two consecutive poses. As you continue to take the poses, your body remains in constant motion, ensuring all the muscles receive appropriate blood and oxygen supply. Plus, one pose flows into another in a smooth, gliding motion. Therefore, you need to practice Tai Chi with patience and ease.

It helps you to establish proper coordination between your body movements and the mind. You can channel your energy and improve your overall aura with practice. Although Tai Chi benefits reduce stress, you need to learn from a professional because the exercises are pretty complicated. 

4. Walking

Walking does not only help in weight reduction. Indeed, it also helps you calm down and relieve stress, anxiety, and panic. If you feel mentally tired or suddenly have a silent panic attack, leave whatever you are doing and walk for 5 to 10 minutes outside. It will have such a refreshing and rejuvenating feeling that you might not be able to get anywhere else. This is because your entire body comes into motion when you start walking. 

As a result, blood circulation improves, and the muscles concerned with motion activate. Therefore, the metabolic rate increases and your heart rate comes down to an average level. Walking early or late at night will benefit your mental health and physical conditions. This is because the oxygen concentration in the air is the highest during these times. 

Although walking is beneficial, you must keep certain things in mind to make the most of it. 

  1. First, start strolling for five to ten minutes and then increase your speed. You should cover 80% of the route with a high-speed walk. It shouldn't be similar to jogging or sprinting. The rest 10% of the journey toward the end needs to be covered with a slow and calming walk. 
  2. Try to choose a time for walking when the pollution levels are pretty low, and the air feels fresh. You can take in more oxygen and activate the muscle tissues.
  3. If you feel stressed after eating, take a walk for ten to fifteen minutes. This will help in digestion and improve sleep quality. 

5. Cycling

stress relief

Another great exercise you can perform to get rid of stress is cycling. When you cycle, your lower body has to be engaged more than the upper one. This will help you deal with the stress as you can feel the wind brushing past your face, giving you relief. Plus, once you are out cycling on the roads or going for a cycle trek, you will feel more connected with nature, which has an extraordinary calming effect on the mind. 

But you do need to ensure you choose the right bike to have the best cycling experience. Also, since cycling can be tiring, start with fifteen minutes of exercise and gradually increase the time devoted to cycling. Keep the proper gear with you, so you won't have to worry about getting injured. 

6. Deep Breathing

Last but not least, you can practice deep breathing, which is also one of the best ways to reduce stress and depression. One of the significant benefits of deep breathing is that you can do it at any time and place. Just inhale air gradually by counting up to 5, hold your breath for a couple of seconds, and then slowly exhale with a reverse count. 

You can do it four times a day as a regular habit. Focus on your breathing as you inhale and exhale. This will help in calming down your mind with ease. Also, try to practice deep breathing outside in the presence of nature. 

Conclusion

In this article, we introduced you to some of the best exercises you can include in your daily routine to eliminate stress. Therefore, you won't have to worry about leading a stressful life anymore. These exercises also have several other benefits, like body weight reduction, alleviating depression, and many more.

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Zandu Ayurvedic Team

Zandu Ayurvedic Team has a panel of over 10 BAMS (Ayurvedacharya), boasting a collective experience of over 50 years. With a deep-rooted understanding of Ayurveda, they are committed to sharing their expertise & knowledge through our blogs.
We use all kinds of Ayurvedic references in our content. Please use the contact form for any editorial queries.

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