Regular Exercising can really make your Blue Mornings and Dull Brown Evenings shiny and vibrant, all you need to do is have some time dedicated to yourself.
5:30 a.m. : Trinnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggggg ……….. spuckkkkk !!!! 10 more minutes ..
6:00 a.m. : Trinnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggg ………… spuckkkkk !!!!! 5 more minutes and then I am getting up……
6:30 a.m. : Oh Dear God, I am late !!!!!
That is how, most of our mornings are.
We hit the snooze button till the time, we finally realise that we are going to have a late start for the day. And for many of us, it happens almost everyday ….. Isn’t it ?
Then we rush to get ready – brushing, bathing, breakfast and there, we hit the road. We dodge through the traffic to reach our places of work, study etc. Then we spend our next 7-8 hours, juggling around with the work, people, deadlines, meetings, studies …… phewwww….. and then dodging again through the same traffic, same chaos, we get back home.
Once at home, we cook ,clean and get back to our beds to sleep.
A vicious, never ending, daily routine of relevant, irrelevant, customary or unusual tasks keeps us engrossed, hardly giving us any time to ourselves and that is when we start feeling stressed.
Stress is great, if it motivates, encourages and helps us achieve (called Positive Stress) but if it makes us feel dull, down, overwhelmed and anxious, it can be notorious (Negative Stress).
Stress, according to dictionary, is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances.
No doubt, we live lives where in we are under constant spoken and unspoken pressures like those from our occupation, family, finances, ambitions ….. the list goes on and on …. and on ….
The negative stress can greatly affect our mind and body. A stressed individual might undergo emotional, behavioural and/ or physical turmoil. Whereas prolonged stress can lead to Hypertension, Heart Diseases, Diabetes, Body Aches, Allergies and Miscarriages in pregnant women, even short spans of stress can be adverse.
Exercise – The Best Stress Reliever
A great way of keeping stress at bay is by engaging in Exercises or any Physical Activity on a regular basis.
It boosts mood and busts away your stresses. When you exercise, various chemicals get secreted in the body like Serotonin, Endorphins, Dopamine and Adrenaline which make you feel good.
- The chemical Serotonin affects most of our body functions including that of mood regulation. It helps in Stress reduction, makes one feel happier, calmer, focused and more emotionally stable.
- Endorphins are responsible for making us feel good. They produce happy and positive feelings and reduce the perception of pain.
- Dopamine is the chemical that helps us perceive pleasure and regulates many other vital functions in the body.
- Adrenaline, also known as Epinephrine is a hormone that leads to the production of above mentioned neurotransmitters – Dopamine and Endorphins
Which Exercises to hook up with ??
Any form of physical activity is great.
For starters, a simple Walk of 30 – 45 minutes on a daily basis can do wonders . And not just walking, if you are an outdoor person you can Jog, Run, Cycle or pick up a Sport of your choice. It can be cricket, tennis, badminton , baseball …. Anything. But ensure that it has to be a mindful selection, something that’s apt for your age, health and medical conditions, if any.
Yoga – This ancient Indian science of holistic wellness has been applauded and accepted world wide for it’s efficacy. It has various Asanas (body postures) and Pranayamas (breathing techniques) that can help with stress and anxiety reduction. Meditation or Dhyana, another important part of Yoga, also helps one relax, be calm and at peace with one’s inner self. Whereas, meditation and pranayamas can be done by anyone, exercise caution with asanas and choose them according to your age, health and medical conditions.
Pilates, Weight Training, Zumba, Martial Arts, Swimming …… Options are many, all you need to do is take a pick for yourself. Either choose something that resonates with you or try something new. Whatever you do, one thing is sure that these will help you feel light and refreshed.
As much as physical activity helps, one must inculcate some lifestyle habits as well like
- Sleeping well
- Keeping yourself hydrated
- Eating a balanced diet
- Thinking positive
- Learning to say No
- Avoiding Technology Addiction
- Listening to relaxing Music
We must acknowledge the very fact that unfavourable situations will always be a part of life. If there are highs, there would be lows. All we need to do is look for solutions and focus on the positives.
