Okay, I've always used exercise as a stress reliever. I think I managed to avoid dealing with a lot of conflict head on by working it off. Really, I was just "sweeping it under the rug" so to speak, and then the endorphins from my workout would have me questioning my pre-workout self's sanity (not recommended). I do not advise this at all. I still struggle with conflict head on. The words I want to say get mixed up in my head, I can't easily form my thoughts in the moment as to how I'm feeling and why. AND, I'm aware of it and working on it.
Exercise does have it's place though, and should not be abandoned (I'm obviously a full supporter). It's worth using it to take a step back, get the blood and endorphins pumping, and then reflecting afterward when your mind is clear. Plus, a lot of us operate under heavy loads of stress in our jobs and day to day, that I think these exercises and workouts I'm about to share are really something everyone should focus on adding to their life.
During my last three years of rehabilitation from an injury that has sidelined me from most high intensity or explosive exercises, I've had the pleasure of exploring some alternative methods of stress relief that still give me a semblance of movement and exercise. The thing these exercises all have in common? They all require you to focus on breath and rhythm of breath. I think this alone helps us lower our mental stress, and allows us to be in a much more meditative state where we focus inward on something very real and constant. It helps us stop swimming in our thoughts, and forces us to come back to ourselves.
1. Yoga: I'm not yoga-obsessed, and I can't actually perform much of it with my current injury, however I do know that if you are able to practice yoga, it is very beneficial for stress relief. I do find I feel so much more relaxed, open, and calm after a class. I believe it's effective because it focuses on controlled breath, and requires a lot of focus on posture, position, and balance.
2. Pilates: This is my personal favorite. It really gave me something regular to come to that did not cause pain, challenged my body, and allowed me to work through my injury and it's various setbacks. It creates an important awareness of maintaining 360 degree breath (through the whole torso), and teaches incredible posture. If you live in Calgary - my favorite studio is Junction 9 (and they have yoga too!).
3. Swimming: I used to swim a lot, and then struggled to get into it again for years. But what I realized was that once I learned how to swim more slowly (I only ever had one speed), swimming quickly became very meditative for me. I could get lost in the laps just focusing on slow breathing, and my rotating torso in the water. I would pick two or three aspects of my form or technique to work on, and just focus on those and my breath. Soon, 50 minutes would be up, and my body felt amazing from the movement. For those of you who can't swim confidently, I recommend taking lessons - you will never regret it!
4. ELDOA Exercises: I learned some ELDOA exercises from my Osteopath/Manual Therapist (he's the best by the way - so if you need one click here). It was developed by French Osteopath Dr. Guy YOYER and stands for Étirements Longitudinaux avec Decoaptation Ostéo Articulaire), or more easily translated to Longitudinal Osteo-Articular Decoaptation Stretching. I'm no expert on this, but my understanding is that it is a mechanism of myofascial stretching to decompress areas of the body. The reason it's so great for stress relief is that it requires you to breathe (and it's hard!) and continually focus on form (very important) so you have no ability to think about stressful things. I found a thorough you tube video here on one specifically for the L5/S1 area of the low back.
5. Hiking: Hiking, walking up hills, walking up stairs, etc are excellent stress relievers. The reason I say hiking is best, is because it also connects you to nature and the outdoors, which is important for stress relief as well. I recommend a steady pace, enough to get your heart rate up so that holding a conversation is challenging. If it's too easy, you will think too much ;).
So if you aren't doing any exercise which requires you to focus on taking full, whole breaths, while getting sweaty, then try one of the five above. Kay?
xoxo,
Leigh
