In this episode we will be taking a deeper look at stretching. We'll be checking out how it benefits our body, aids with training recovery and has huge implications in reducing stress and anxiety.
Stretching is not always comfortable or exciting. It could even be seen as a little unsexy considering it doesn't give you the same visible benefits as lifting weights. Stretching is what helps keep our bodies functional though.
One of the best reasons I've found for stretching is that it helps to reduce muscle tension in the body. When the body is able to begin to relax our stress and anxiety levels will drop.
I've found this particularly helpful in relieving my own anxiety. I've been using stretch combined with breathing exercises to help keep my body in a calmer state which has really helped keep my anxiety at a manageable level.
How does stretching and movement relieve stress and anxiety?
•Tension in the body creates a physiological response. When our muscles are tense we tend to chest breathe (breathing shallow in the tops of our chest as opposed to stomach aka diaphragmatic breathing.
•This tension combined with shallow breathing increases our heart rate.
•When our heart rate is increased it creates more tension in the body. This increases our heart rate even more.
•As you may know anxiety causes an increased heart rate. Having an elevated heart rate can cause an anxious response when there is no direct physical threat or danger to us.
•This increased anxiety influences our cortisol (stress hormone levels). Having elevated stress hormones leads to even more stress.
•It's a hectic cycle
But we can work to break this cycle and replace it with one that is much more beneficial to our bodies and our minds.
•When we work to relax our muscles through stretch and deep breathing, we can gradually reduce our heart.
•Reducing our heart rate allows us to move our bodies more freely which helps our muscles relax and we can then breath deeper using our diaphragm.
•As we deep breath and our muscles relax and our heart rate slows our anxiety levels begin to drop.
•As our stress and anxiety levels drop, our cortisol levels to begin to level out as well.
•Continued stretching coupled with deep breathing helps maintain relaxed muscles and reduce further tension in the body. This helps release us from the cycle of tension, stress and anxiety.
There are a heap of different ways you can stretch and relax your body.
We've been creating a library of movements on YouTube that are safe and explained in depth to give you an understanding of how to move, what it's stretching and why it's beneficial.
I believe that before anything else, we need to be able to move our bodies as best we can. This is what keeps them safe to do the things we want in life.
I've also been running weekly live online stretch classes that are a blend of mobility exercises and yoga. With a particular focus on incorporating breathing into each movement. Because how we breathe is a factor in how our bodies are functioning.
Yoga is an excellent practice to help stretch while adding breathing to the movements as well. Stretching and breathing is like the ultimate relaxation combo. Yoga is based around balancing the body and the mind to reduce stress and stretch and strengthen the muscles. If you jump on YouTube you'll find hundreds of yoga videos to follow along to. The classes are seriuosly white washed and cis het but there are still some great instructors out.
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