Stretching to Conquer Stress Naturally

Stress kills seven people every two seconds according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Therefore, if you don’t want to end up as just another statistic, then managing your stress levels is extremely important. Stretching to conquer stress is a simple, natural way to manage the ill effects of what negative emotions are doing to your body.

Since muscles tense when under stress, learning to stretch properly can help reverse muscle tightening that trap lactic acid that form painful knots or muscle spasms. As a result, stretching erases the knots to the point the lactic acid is not longer confined to the muscle. Instead, the lactic acid has a chance to move on through the bloodstream, helping the body relax and feel better as oxygen gets renewed to better deal with stress.

Breathing Is Just As Important as the Stretching to Conquer Stress

To really benefit from stretching to conquer stress, you need to practice a method of breathing to accompany it. Inhale deeply from the stomach and fully to the chest before each stretch. As you stretch, you slowly exhale that saved air. The body benefits from this controlled release in combination with lengthening the muscle that has shortened from tension.

When you start to feel the tension closing in, you will find taking the time to simply stretch can help that tension leave the body sooner. Whether you sit or stand, all that matters is putting your work aside briefly and concentrating on taking a deep breath and stretching.

There are no set number of stretches that you need to do when stretching to conquer stress. The best course of action is to start gradually and work up to your comfort level instead of overwhelming your muscles that may not be ready for such a workout.

Some Basic Stretching Exercises to Conquer Stress

A lot of tension ends up in our shoulder area. Shoulder shrugs can be lifesavers when those muscles come under stress. As you inhale deeply, raise your shoulders as high as possible, exhale and then lower them. As little as four or five repetitions can help loosen those tight knotted shoulders.

Another help when your shoulders are under attack from stress is practicing some shoulder rolls. Try rolling them forward for several times then changing direction for a few more times. Don’t forget to keep track of your breathing.

Tension always can be responsible for a stiff neck. An exercise that helps is stretching the neck muscles by leaning the neck as if trying to make your ear touch your shoulder blade. When you feel your neck has been compromised by stress, try that neck exercise leaning as I suggested to your right. Do this a few times, then rotating with another few times in the opposite direction.

When your stress isn’t confined to your shoulder and neck area, you might be wise to do a general stretching to conquer stress that can impact the whole body instead of those specific parts. Stand on your tip toes and as the children’s song goes, reach for the stars, up and over your head as high as you can go. With raised arms still over your head, stretch in one direction then rotate in the other, taking deep breaths inhaling and exhaling.

Myotherapy Is Another Way for Stretching to Conquer Stress

Muscles that spasm hurt and cause us pain. When you massage certain muscle groups and exert gentle pressure in certain areas as you can in myotherapy, you can stretch the muscle that has knotted up. I firmly believe in the myotherapy and have used it many times when other methods have failed.

Stress can be difficult to beat, but it can be managed. Hopefully, try stretching to conquer stress because it can come to your aid without resorting to medication.