Stress is the body’s reaction to a challenge or demand, a feeling of physical or emotional tension in various situations, which is why knowing and applying different techniques to combat it is necessary to have a better quality of life. With them, we can relieve accumulated tension, improve and maintain flexibility and, in general, add well-being to our days.
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According to the experts of the American Psychological Association (APA), stress is a very common disorder in the population that affects the quality of life. It is often described as a feeling of overwhelm, worry, and exhaustion, which often has predictable biochemical, physiological, and behavioral repercussions, while it can affect people of any age and gender.
A good stretch helps relax your shoulders and reduce stress. (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Most of the cases are mild episodes that are relieved with a little rest or the practice of some relaxation or distraction technique, however, there are those who suffer from it chronic form and they are forced to resort to professional treatment, according to Carlos Fabián Ávila, who graduated from various universities in Spain and works professionally as a sports doctor and as a specialist in non-surgical aesthetic medicine.
The 6 exercises that relieve the tensions caused by stress
The daily practice of these exercises helps prevent the consequences of stress from worsening and causing greater physical discomfort:
- Relax the neck. The neck is one of the first parts of the body where the physical consequences of stress are perceived. A muscular tension is concentrated in it that can cause pain and even difficulties in movement. You have to tilt your head forward and back, towards one shoulder and the other. Then, turn your head as if you were trying to make circles with your nose.
- Relieve tension in the shoulders. Along with the neck, the shoulders often become tense due to constant stress. On some occasions, it becomes so severe that severe pain is experienced that can only be relieved with painkillers. As an exercise, you can raise and lower your shoulders in a smooth movement, one at a time and alternately. Relax them and let the head fall forward, as if the chin wanted to rest on the chest. Then, make circular movements with the head without stretching the neck.
- Relieve the back and arms. Pain in the back and a feeling of heaviness in the arms may be the result of a stressful situation at work or at home. The following movement can be practiced: extend the arms to the front of the body, interlock the fingers of the hands with each other and turn the palms forward. Do a short stretch, relax and repeat it several times slowly and gently to avoid injury.
- Relax the spine. Stress in the spine is usually the result of sitting or still in the same position for a long time. You feel mild pain that can get worse depending on how stressful the situation or environment is. As an exercise, we can sit on a chair, relax the spine forward and relax the head between the legs, hanging the arms. Go up and down slowly, put your hands behind your neck and bring your elbows down and your chin towards your chest. Breathe for a few seconds, trying to relax as much as we can and rest. Maintaining the seated position, we can move the trunk of the body to one side and to the other, as if we were trying to rotate the entire torso.
- Stop legs. When we are subjected to multiple situations that cause us stress, the legs feel sore and, sometimes, they make us feel tired. Exercising them daily not only reduces this risk, but also promotes circulation to prevent other disorders such as inflammation and varicose veins. We can sit in front of the desk or table, push ourselves with our hands and stretch our legs as far as we can. Stretch your feet several times and rotate your ankles. Then, standing up, lean against a wall, put one foot forward and, bending the knee, stretch the back leg for a few seconds. Rest and repeat the same movement with the other leg.
- Visuals. The cornea works like a lens, mediating the passage of light from the outside to the inside of the eye. Although we rarely pay attention to them, the eyes are one of the parts of the body that suffer the most from stress and work overload. These tend to get tired and sick, especially when we keep them for several hours in front of the screens of electronic devices. You can open and close your eyes forcefully. Then, look in various directions, trying to focus on a specific point. To finish, gently massage the eye area using your fingertips.