your exercise RX for stress

Stress. It affects all of us on one level or another. Some stress is good; otherwise we would blissfully park our behinds in front of the TV and never get anything done! But being overstressed can lead to obesity and other health problems, not to mention turn us into very unpleasant individuals.

But what can we do about all this stress? The trick is to take control of your stress levels before they start controlling you. The following exercises were designed to help you relieve tension and relax both your mind and your body. Practice them on a daily basis and lose the stress!

Breathe Deeply
Before beginning your stress-relieving exercises, you need to understand how to breathe correctly. Breathing deeply supplies much needed oxygen to our brain, lungs and all our other vital organs. Breathing deeply while performing these exercises will also help you relax all of your muscles and relieve all of your bodily tension.

So go ahead and take a deep breath. Hold it for three seconds and then let it all out. As you exhale let your jaw and your shoulders relax and think "peace" or "calm." Or choose your own word, keeping in mind words like "bills" or "overdue" will not work... the point being relaxation.
Now continue to breathe deeply throughout the following exercises and feel all that stress just melt away...

The Shoulder Roll
This exercise helps relieve all the tension that accumulates in your neck and shoulder area.

Standing calmly, hands at your side, raise your shoulders up to your ears (as far as possible). Now slowly move your shoulders back and then let them drop. Now raise them to your ears again and start to roll your shoulders in a "circle". Up, back down and around. Do this exercise about 5 times and remember to breathe deeply.

The Stand And Reach
This exercise will help relieve muscular tension in your spine and relax your arm and back muscles.

Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, put your arms over your head and interlace your fingers, palms up. Now keeping your palms towards the ceiling, stretch as high as you can--stand up on your tiptoes and try and reach the ceiling. Doesn't that feel great? Now return to your original position and repeat the whole exercise three times. Remember, nice deep breaths!

Tummy Tamer
This exercise works the entire abdominal wall, including the deep hidden stomach muscles.

Lie on the floor, arms and legs resting in a comfortable position. Now take a deep breath while pulling your upper and lower tummy muscles into the floor. Hold this position for 3 seconds, then release. This movement should feel like someone is pulling your bellybutton through the floor. Repeat this exercise 10 times.

The Seated Twist
This exercise helps to relieve lower back stress and helps stretch your upper back muscles as well.

Start this exercise in a seated position. Slowly turn the upper half of your body to one side, arms relaxed and slightly held out to your sides. Now look over your shoulder and taking a deep breath, slowly turn to the opposite side. Repeat this exercise three times on each side.

The Body Tenser
This exercise relaxes all of your muscles.

Stand in an upright position; feet shoulder-width apart, arms by your sides. Now take a deep breath and grip the floor with your toes, tensing your calf, leg and buttocks. Hold this position for 3 seconds and then exhaling deeply – release. Repeat one more time. Now inhale deeply and make two fists; clench your hands, arms, shoulder and neck muscles, exhale deeply and release. Repeat one more time. Now open your mouth as wide as you can, and tense all the muscles in your face. Hold for 3 seconds and repeat, remembering to breathe deeply. Whew! Your whole body should feel relaxed and stress-free!