Stress Relief by Basic StretchingOne of the best ways to reduce stress and to maintain a healthy physique is to practice some stress relief by basic stretching. It regulates the blood flow in your body which helps you in maintaining your blood pressure while making your body more flexible. It also helps in getting your muscles relaxed. According to research, stress relief by basic stretching also helps in controlling the production of certain hormones in our body, particularly the stress hormones. So try to practice stretch exercises as they are helpful in stress relief. Following are some of the most common stretching exercises that help you overcome your stress: WARM UP FIRST: Getting warmed up is the first step before any proper stress relief by basic stretching. This is to ensure that all your muscles are relaxed and much flexible before proper exercise. This also reduces the risk of having any injury after or during the exercise. * To get yourself warmed up, you can go out for a speed walk. * There are other options too like dancing, light swimming, riding a stationary bicycle. All these activities increase your body temperature and the temperature of your muscles. You should spend from 5 to 10 minutes for warm up. When you are done, you are ready for your proper stretching exercises. DYNAMIC STRETCHING EXERCISES: Dynamic exercises mean those exercises in which you move your body. These are opposite to static exercises. In stress relief by basic stretching, you don?t have to hold your body in a stretched position as you do in static exercises. * One of the most common examples of dynamic exercises is to swing your arms or legs in a particular trajectory. * These exercises can also be taken as warm up exercises before playing a proper game like football, cricket etc. It ensures that your muscles are not stiffed. STATIC STRETCHING EXERCISES: This is the most common example of stress relief by basic stretching. * Static exercises are those exercises in which you held your body in a particular position. Mostly body is held, in a specific position, for 10 to 20 seconds. These exercises help you in getting flexibility in your body and muscles. One important thing to note here is that you should never bounce or jump when you are in such a position else you would carry an injury. There exercises are very relaxing. * You can stretch yourself up to a position in which you feel a pull but no a pain. Then hold your body in each position for 10-20 seconds. * You can do this for many muscles of your body like abs, butt, arms, legs, shoulders, neck etc. NECK STRETCHING EXERCISES: The above two exercise were general exercises for all the muscles of your body. All exercises eventually relax your body and muscles. Neck stretching exercise specifically targets the muscles of your neck. Neck is also an area which is affected by stress and stress relief by basic stretching is the solution. Sometime you get it stiffed. * Now to loosen up, stand up or find a chair and sit on it straight in a way that the bottom of your spine is turned under. Now let your head to fall forward. During this, keep your shoulders and neck relaxed. Then gently turn your head to one side and then on the other side. Don?t overstretch it and also don?t try to turn in backwards. UPPER BODY STRETCHING EXERCISES: This exercise engages different parts of your body like your shoulders, back, arms. * Take a chair and sit on it in a way that your knees get slightly flexed. Your knees should not be stiffed. Or you can do these exercises while standing. Now extend your arms up to shoulder level. Then turn your palms out and try to reach your arms until you feel a stretch, not pain. When you get there, hold on for 10-20 seconds. Again repeat this for several times. If you want to do some stress relief by basic stretching for your waist or sides then again stand or sit with your knees slightly flexed. Now move your right hand behind the head. Then grab the elbow of your right hand with your other hand and then stretch it gently. Bend it until you feel a stretch. Hold on for 10-20 seconds. Then do it for the other side. LEG STRETCHING EXERCISES: Before you temp any leg stretching exercise, remember one important point; never get your knees stiffed. Always allow them to be flexed or slightly bent. It will ensure that you?ll end up without any injury. * First of all, sit on the floor and press the soles of your leg together. Then lower your body towards the floor starting from the knees. Do it until you feel a slight stretch. When you feel it, hold on for 10-20 seconds. Sit back, relax and do it again.
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