Using simple exercises to break through stress

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Stress is an inevitable aspect of life for most people. Unfortunately we rarely have control over stress caused by factors out of our control. However, we do have the ability to control how we respond and react to that stress. Therefore it is very useful for you to understand the most effective strategies for reducing your stress levels.

I want to focus on introducing two different types of exercises into your working life. Some people find that short, sharp bursts of exercise (in just a few minutes!) can reduce their stress or tension levels in the short term and you can discover whether this is effective for you. We will also look at creating an enjoyable form of exercise into your week (if you don't already do so!)

Another of my articles looks at quick, easy mind focusing and relaxation techniques to reduce your stress levels in just a few minutes.

What kind of de-stress strategies work most effectively for you?

Not everyone benefits from using relaxation strategies when they're stressed. In fact, one study has shown that some people's stress levels actually increase when they do certain relaxation or mind focusing techniques. For these people, exercise may be far more effective in helping them to reduce stress.

One anxious and distressed client I saw recently became noticeably more stressed as I encouraged her to do a mind focusing exercise. Realizing I needed to change techniques, I encouraged her to stand up and start marching on the spot (which I did with her, to help her feel comfortable). Within 2 or 3 minutes, her anxiety levels had reduced significantly. After such a clear demonstration of what worked for her, it was very easy to encourage that client to introduce regular walks into her week.

Short bursts of exercise

Since most of us do not have the time to go to the gym or have a game of squash whenever we are stressed, it is really beneficial to find out whether we benefit from short bursts of exercise that we can do any time, anywhere, in just a few minutes. If relaxation techniques don't work too effectively for you, then short exercise breaks may give you the opportunity to de-stress easily and relatively effortlessly.

So for the next month you may wish to experiment to see whether you can benefit from doing a power walk round the block, jogging or marching on the spot for a couple of minutes or maybe even climb up and down stairs a few times. Be creative and find out which type of 'short burst' exercise works for you.

The choice is yours as to how often you do this. But if you are going through a particularly stressful time, you may benefit from short bursts of exercise between each client. Or it may be enough to do this in your lunch break and again when you have finished work. Remember, 2 or 3 minutes may be all you need to start to make a difference.

Shaking the body

Have you ever noticed how animals shake or tremble when they are traumatised? The shaking may be one of nature's ways of helping discharge stress hormones and releasing energy blocks and muscle tension. Apparently when dolphins are angry, they have been seen to go off on their own and shake their bodies vigorously before returning to the school!

So the next time you need to de-stress after seeing a certain client or having a challenging time in your daily life, check out whether shaking your whole body works for you. I often do this between clients, shaking my arms, shoulders, hands, legs, feet and even head. It works very effectively for me, especially after seeing certain clients whose energies I find quite disturbing. You may like to try this, although obviously you need to take care if you have any structural problems!

Muscle relaxation

Since we are looking primarily at working with the body as a means of releasing stress, you may also wish to try this muscle relaxation exercise. Sitting on a chair, tighten up all the muscles in your whole body for about five seconds, and then consciously allow yourself to relax all of your muscles. Sometimes, it is only when we tighten the muscles first, that we are able to relax them fully. You may wish to do this a couple of times as a quick de-stress technique.

Alternatively, you can take more time; sitting, or lying comfortably, working through the muscle groups progressively starting at your feet and working up towards your head. Tighten each group of muscles and then relax them fully before progressing to the next group of muscles.

Regular exercise

We can all benefit from a regular routine of more prolonged periods of exercise. Countless studies show the effectiveness of exercise in reducing anxiety and depression, as well as improving our health and wellbeing. Twenty minutes of regular exercise is enough to stimulate the body to release stress hormones and also encourage the secretion of endorphins, the 'feel good' hormones. So whether you fancy going to the gym, playing a game of badminton, or taking a walk in the countryside, it is essential that you to start to create a regular exercise routine, if you do not already have one.

Make it fun

The easiest way to ensure that you keep up some form of regular exercise is to choose something that you really enjoy. So choose something that will bring you joy; it could be jive classes, yoga, badminton, line dancing, or swimming. If you find the idea of regular exercise very challenging you might find it helpful to exercise with a friend or neighbour. Last week a friend shared with me how she walks half an hour every morning with a neighbour, something, which she would never ever do on her own. Could you create a regular exercise routine with a friend for extra motivation?

Two suggested strategies

1. Short bursts of exercise
   Frequently throughout the day, maybe between each client, spend 2 or 3 minutes doing a short burst of physical exercise. You might like to try:
   • Shaking your whole body
   • Marching on the spot for a couple of minutes
   • Jogging on the spot if you feel more energetic
   • A standing yoga posture, using the breath and stretching your arms up and over your head, and then lowering them down to the sides
   • Walking up and down the stairs a few times
   Assess your stress levels before and after doing different types of exercise and see which works best for you.
   
   
2. Introduce a regular form of exercise
   Choose something that you enjoy and exercise for at least 20 minutes, starting once a week, and increase the frequency when you are ready. But remember it is better to be more realistic by starting once a week, and keeping it up, rather than being too ambitious.

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