Stress relief exercising can be very helpful in one's pursuit to feel better and reduce high blood pressure. At first, doing exercises to relieve stress, you may feel better simply because exercising has a tendency to reduce nervousness. Over a longer period of time, this can result in feeling better on a whole different level because being calm over a long period of time helps reduce blood pressure and has a positive effect on one's feeling of well-being. In this article, we explain stress relief exercising.
To begin with let's remember there is no substitute for regular medical checkups. If during one of these checkups you are diagnosed with hypertension, make sure to follow your doctor's orders.
Prepare the Body
Most people are familiar with progressive relaxation. Progressive relaxation is a form of stress relief exercising because it can take a person from being very anxious to an absolutely peaceful state of mind. When relaxation is combined with the proper mental imagery, stress relief will result. Here's how it's done:
Make yourself as comfortable as you can by either sitting or lying down. Many people have the greatest success lying down at home in their bed. However, others have better success being in a reclining chair. Then again I and some others I know of have had successful stress relieving exercise sessions in their cars while they were parked in a parking lot.
Take a deep breath to the count of five while filling your lungs completely. Then, hold your breath for 3 to 5 seconds. Some people have no problem holding their breath for 5 seconds, while for others, it is a struggle. So do the best you can. If you can only hold your breath for one second that is fine.
The next step is to exhale. With relaxation exercising, you always want to exhale to twice the count of your inhale. So, since you have inhaled to the count of five, exhale to the count of ten. Do this four more times.
Deep Relaxation
Turn your mind's attention to one of your feet. Whether it is your left or your right, it does not matter. In your mind, instruct your foot to relax. Then move your attention to your other foot and instruct it to relax. While doing these things get the feeling the muscles in your feet are actually loosening up while they are relaxing. Move your attention upward to your calves. Little by little, move your attention up your body as you Instruct each body part to relax.
Continue relaxing all of your body parts until you get to the top of your head. Tell your scalp to relax. Next, get the feel of being totally relaxed. Then, turn your attention to your breathing. Don't listen to anything else just your breathing. If any negative thoughts should come into your mind, don't try to fight them. Just let them do what they will and continue to listen to your breathing.
As you listen to your breath enter into and exit your lungs, feel yourself becoming more and more peaceful. Study how this peacefulness feels to you and examine it from all aspects. Enjoy this feeling for several minutes. You will know when it is time to get back up and resume your normal activities.
You should practice this exercise at least three times a week. The exercise sessions usually last from 20 minutes to a half hour, but it is fine if they go longer.
Take Relaxation with You
At any time during the day you can recall the feeling you had when you were in a totally relaxed state. Recalling the mental imagery of yourself being totally relaxed will help squelch any sudden adrenaline flow that may come over you because something stressful has occurred during your day.
This will benefit you greatly because you will be able to hear stress knocking but by recalling the calmness you have experienced, that stress will not be able to come through your door. This is one of the great benefits of stress relief exercising. The long-term benefit may be better blood pressure and a better possibility of not being afflicted by the many illnesses and diseases we normally associate with stress.
To begin with let's remember there is no substitute for regular medical checkups. If during one of these checkups you are diagnosed with hypertension, make sure to follow your doctor's orders.
Prepare the Body
Most people are familiar with progressive relaxation. Progressive relaxation is a form of stress relief exercising because it can take a person from being very anxious to an absolutely peaceful state of mind. When relaxation is combined with the proper mental imagery, stress relief will result. Here's how it's done:
Make yourself as comfortable as you can by either sitting or lying down. Many people have the greatest success lying down at home in their bed. However, others have better success being in a reclining chair. Then again I and some others I know of have had successful stress relieving exercise sessions in their cars while they were parked in a parking lot.
Take a deep breath to the count of five while filling your lungs completely. Then, hold your breath for 3 to 5 seconds. Some people have no problem holding their breath for 5 seconds, while for others, it is a struggle. So do the best you can. If you can only hold your breath for one second that is fine.
The next step is to exhale. With relaxation exercising, you always want to exhale to twice the count of your inhale. So, since you have inhaled to the count of five, exhale to the count of ten. Do this four more times.
Deep Relaxation
Turn your mind's attention to one of your feet. Whether it is your left or your right, it does not matter. In your mind, instruct your foot to relax. Then move your attention to your other foot and instruct it to relax. While doing these things get the feeling the muscles in your feet are actually loosening up while they are relaxing. Move your attention upward to your calves. Little by little, move your attention up your body as you Instruct each body part to relax.
Continue relaxing all of your body parts until you get to the top of your head. Tell your scalp to relax. Next, get the feel of being totally relaxed. Then, turn your attention to your breathing. Don't listen to anything else just your breathing. If any negative thoughts should come into your mind, don't try to fight them. Just let them do what they will and continue to listen to your breathing.
As you listen to your breath enter into and exit your lungs, feel yourself becoming more and more peaceful. Study how this peacefulness feels to you and examine it from all aspects. Enjoy this feeling for several minutes. You will know when it is time to get back up and resume your normal activities.
You should practice this exercise at least three times a week. The exercise sessions usually last from 20 minutes to a half hour, but it is fine if they go longer.
Take Relaxation with You
At any time during the day you can recall the feeling you had when you were in a totally relaxed state. Recalling the mental imagery of yourself being totally relaxed will help squelch any sudden adrenaline flow that may come over you because something stressful has occurred during your day.
This will benefit you greatly because you will be able to hear stress knocking but by recalling the calmness you have experienced, that stress will not be able to come through your door. This is one of the great benefits of stress relief exercising. The long-term benefit may be better blood pressure and a better possibility of not being afflicted by the many illnesses and diseases we normally associate with stress.
| Jason Falson once battled with serious hypertension but now has normal BP readings. He has credited his remarkable recovery to following a few simple rules. Of course, one of these rules is following his doctor's orders. His Website, Blood Pressure Symptoms discusses Jason's rules of blood pressure control. Also, learn more about the connection between hypertension and anxiety and how to control your anxiety at Stop Anxiety. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Falson |  |
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