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It is a fact that we are all under more stress than ever before. Unfortunately, stress can take a toll on your physical and mental health, leading to a cycle that could make things worse. But there are immediate actions that you can take to help yourself feel better and relieve stress now.
There are some things that you cannot control in your life. This can create extreme stress. On the other hand, there are factors that are completely in your control. Learning control in these areas can give you confidence in other areas of your life. Not controlling them can be life threatening.
It is a fact that stress creates excessive cortisol and adrenaline to be produced in our bodies. Even if you don't feel the "fight or flight" response, low level and constant stress will cause these hormones to be continually made and released into your body. Why are too much of these hormones a bad thing?
Too much cortisol will suppress your immune system leaving you more prone to infections and a flare up of allergies. Too much adrenaline can raise your blood pressure and increase your risk for heart attack and stroke. In addition, these stress hormones can cause mood swings, anxiety and depression, adding to your stress levels.
Exercise is one of the best stress-busters available to you. It can help you control and even alleviate these types of stress related problems. If motivation to exercise is your problem, set your goals lower. You don't have to do a hardcore strenuous workout - just move your body.
Walking is proving to be one of the absolute best exercises for stress relief. It not only tones your entire body, it also stimulates your immune system, and elevates your mood. It has one of the lowest risks of side effects and you don't need an expensive prescription. But how does it help relieve the effects of stress?
While you are walking, you must pump your calf muscles. This is one of the only ways to move your lymphatic system, which carries toxins and waste out of your body. This includes waste that needs to be removed from your liver and gallbladder. (Perhaps this is why studies prove that daily walking decreases the risk of needing gallstones surgery.)
This is important since the excessive amounts of hormones are considered toxins by your body. Moving your lymphatic and circulatory system will help remove this excess waste, which will provide some stress relief.
When stressed, blood supply is directed to the vital organs like the heart and brain. The means less blood is given to the less vital organs including your digestive tract, skin and spleen. The result can be poor digestion, cold and clammy skin, skin eruptions and even constipation.
Walking can alleviate these problems by moving your entire circulatory system. As your blood flow increases, so does oxygen throughout your body. This increases blood supply, more nutrients and oxygen to all your organs, including the digestive tract and skin.
If walking isn't your thing, try something even more fun like rebounding. Rebounding is the term given to jumping on a trampoline designed for exercise. This exercises all the muscles in your body, increases lung capacity, normalizes blood pressure, increases lymphatic flow, and tones the glandular system (the system that produces hormones).
And don't let the obvious go by - jumping on a trampoline is plain old fun. This alone can help elevate your mood and provide some stress relief.
If you decide to try this exercise proceed with extreme caution. You can jar your joints and hurt your back if you use an everyday trampoline. The smaller rebounders made for daily exercise use specials materials and springs that are made to absorb the impact to protect your body.
You can find a good quality rebounder online for an average price of $250. And don't let that discourage you - that investment can last you ten or more years, which is far cheaper than the price of a gym.
Take advantage of using exercise for your stress relief. Start small with just ten minutes of exercise every day. You will naturally start doing more as your body gets stronger, you gain more energy and start realizing how effective it is. Daily exercise can give you more confidence that you are in control of your life. This will result in your realization that you can control other factors as well, and may even save your life.
Don't let stress take its toll on your health - learn about stress relief and how a colon cleanse can help.
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