Several diets have been wrecked by stress eating. Starting from salads and ending in ice cream, people generally lose control when they are under stress. And most often, stress eating is just a blanket excuse to splurge on fatty foods. If you’re under stress, I have some healthy habits to help you out. So keep that bowl of ice cream away, at least until after you read these tips.
Get active
When you’re feeling low, exercise is the best way to dispel those blues. You need to select the right exercises. Go for a bike ride or a brisk walk. You don’t have to join a health club for being active – just take the dog for a walk or simply dance at home. If you complete a low-intensity workout for 30 minutes each day, you’ll feel your stress melting away.
Which workout to choose?
Here are some easy workouts for beating stress.
Walking
Walking is an easy exercise and most of us can do 30 minutes or more of it each day without any difficulty. It also helps in lowering the blood pressure, cholesterol, and fighting diabetes.
Yoga
Yoga is known to reduce stress and increase the flexibility of the body. Yoga is an ancient practice and has been followed by people for more than 5000 years. There are different forms of yoga, and as a beginner, you should begin with simple postures and breathing exercises. There are several Yoga videos available on the internet to help you get started.
Tai Chi
It’s a kind of martial art that beats stress and increases the overall strength of the body. Tai Chi was made for spiritual development and self-defense. It combines breathing techniques with gentle physical movements. It lays focus on coordinated breathing to enhance the well-being, and promotes control and balance. Tai Chi has several psychosocial benefits as well. You can learn Tai Chi from a qualified teacher.
There are several other activities apart from these three. Just going for a stroll or a swim can bring down your stress level considerably. You can also combine these techniques to find the right solution that fits your needs.
What to choose
While there are a number of activities to choose from, make sure you choose something you enjoy. If you select something that feels like a chore, you’ll stop doing it sooner or later. If you enjoy dancing, make sure you dance for half an hour each day. And if you like nature, you can go cycling on a nearby biking trail.
Whatever activity you choose, if you find it boring, you’ll drop out in a few days, so you must select something that entertains you. You can also try activities that don’t seem like an exercise. For example, you could fly a kite or roller skate.
Beat the excuses
If you want to beat the stress, you need to beat the excuses first.
“I don’t have time today”
“I’m feeling sad today”
“I don’t have enough money to join a gym”
Don’t let these excuses bring you down. You can exercise right in your home without going anywhere. Or you can just get up and go for a jog. Just make sure you warm up and cool down before and after the workout to avoid injury.
