Stressful situations throw us off balance and sometimes can’t be avoided, but we can still control how we deal with them.
Knowing a handful of simple stress relief exercises can help you quickly and easily lower anxiety and feel better.
Stress is your body’s reaction to a certain amount of pressure.
In short bursts, it helps you avoid what your brain perceives as “dangerous situations”, but it can have harmful effects in the long run.
People who develop chronic stress are more likely to suffer from heart disease, obesity, and depression.
Stress release exercises help you manage stress while improving your overall physical and mental health.
We’ve got 6 great stress relief exercises for you, even if you hate exercise.
And if you need extra support or motivation to keep on track, Miboko is the next step for you.
Miboko’s program has been designed by leading experts and behavioral scientists to help you connect body and mind, developing new habits to make you feel better than ever.
It includes guided meditations and useful videos that will help you destress and refocus.
But that’s not all.
Miboko’s sensor monitors your glucose (in a non-invasive way) to give you personalized suggestions on what foods work best for you.
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Brisk walking reduces stress and boosts your metabolism
A brisk walk can be the perfect chance to disconnect for a few minutes during your day.
Walking helps boost your mood and helps people with depression feel better. You choose the route and the company, so this stress relieving activity is 100% tailored to you.
You can listen to music to help you relax or boost your mood, you can have a think about your day, or you can just set your auto-pilot mode and think of nothing in particular.
The great thing about walking as a stress relief exercise is that it takes you away from a stressful situation or environment, lowers your blood pressure, and burns calories.
You can do this solo or with someone, you can take a brisk walk around the office or around the park, and if you don’t have the time to do this during your working day, you can either walk to work or go out for a brisk 10-minute walk around the block when you make it home.
You may not be able to go for a brisk walk every time, but the more you do it, the more it’ll become a habit.
If you can’t walk for 10 minutes every day, start with 5.
Or 3.
Or 2.
It doesn’t matter where you start as long as you start somewhere.
The rest will follow.
Yoga can be your best friend when it comes to stress relief exercises
Yoga routines not only help you get rid of stress, but they also tone your body and help you stay calm and focused, connecting body and mind.
When you’re doing yoga, your body’s relaxed and your focus is on your breathing technique.
Because you’re also activating your body, your brain releases endorphins, helping you feel happy and calm.
With a self-led yoga routine, you choose how you want to exercise.
- You can practice it on your own or with a friend.
- You can complete a 5 or a 50-minute routine.
- You can do it at home alone, or in the gym with friends
- You can complete a yoga routine pretty much anywhere.
- You don’t have to spend a lot of money to start – in fact, there are a lot of free resources with great yoga exercise routines.
A yoga routine can be a great stress-relieving exercise you can do in as little as 5 minutes per day.
While you become stronger physically and mentally, you’ll be able to let go of those stressful situations around you.
Cleaning helps you unwind and burn calories
Some people like to work out at the gym when they’re stressed, some like doing yoga, and some like to do some cleaning to let off some steam.
All these options are valid.
All of them work.
But cleaning for stress relief is a hidden gem many people don’t even consider.
In case you’re skeptical about this one, the average person burns between 170 to 300 calories per hour cleaning, and just as with any other exercise, you release endorphins while you’re at it.
Cleaning is one of those chores you can turn into a stress relief exercise by carrying heavier items from room to room, going up and down the stairs, or mopping the floor thoroughly.
Apart from helping you unwind and forget about your stressors, cleaning has been proved to boost your mood too.
Studies have shown that cluttered spaces can affect you negatively, contributing to low mood, tension, and added stress.
By doing some cleaning – whether light or heavy – you’re getting away from your stressors, burning some calories, and creating a clutter-free space that improves your mood, helps you sleep better, and improves your focus.
If you normally enjoy tidying up and cleaning, incorporating this into your stress-relief routine won’t be any trouble!
You don’t need to clean the whole house at once.
Start small.
In time, you’ll be able to find what helps you feel better and relieve stress.
It may be cleaning the whole living room.
It may be decluttering your desk.
You’ll find out.
All you need to do is start.
Dancing like nobody’s watching is great to let off some steam and relax
Apart from improving your balance and coordination, dancing helps you destress and release endorphins, making you feel happy and relaxed.
You don’t need to be a professional ballerina to reduce stress through dance, you just have to love music and be willing to move to it.
Easy as that.
Several studies have linked dancing with lower stress levels and higher emotional and mental wellbeing.
Dancing strengthens your body, boosts your mood, and takes your mind off the situation that’s stressing you out.
If you dance for an hour, you can burn between 300 and 800 calories – while having fun!
You can join a dance class, or you can blast your speakers at home and dance to your favorite music.
You can do this while cleaning or prepping a meal.
The important thing here is to enjoy it, whether on your own or with someone else.
Gardening is an amazing stress relieving activity
Seeing your plants grow is always a source of pride, but did you know that gardening can also help boost your physical, emotional, and mental health?
Several studies show a direct connection between gardening and a decrease in stress levels, and when your garden is in full bloom, it’ll bring you even more peace.
And if you don’t believe the physical and mental implications of gardening, studies show that an hour of gardening can help you burn around 300 calories, which means your body is working, producing serotonin, and helping you feel good and relaxed.
You don’t need to devote loads of time to it either. If you’re short for time a study shows that people who garden 2-3 times a week have higher wellbeing scores than people who don’t garden at all.
When you’re gardening you have to walk up and down your yard, pull weeds, or dig some holes for your plants to grow. All of this keeps your body active and your mind focused, contributing to your overall health.
Being in touch with nature brings your stress levels down, helping you forget about your stressors, and focus on the task at hand.
Finally, gardening is also great for mindfulness, and you can always take a few minutes to just be present in your garden and visualize what you’d want it to look like.
If you’re short for space, a well-lit room and a few pots can also do the trick.
Buy some seeds or get some cuttings and start growing them.
You can choose plants or vegetables, just make sure you follow the light and watering conditions they need, and get ready to destress while nurturing some new life.
Team sports are great stress relief exercises
When you’re participating in a team sport, your mind is set on the game, not on what’s stressing you out. Exercise also releases happy hormones and helps you feel calm and relaxed after the session.
If you have time and a couple of friends available, you can take your stress-relief routine up a notch with team sports.
Sport is a great way to let off some steam, and tennis is a great option to lower your stress levels for several reasons.
You don’t need to be a pro.
You can play at any level.
And the more you play, the better you’ll get at it.
Your coordination and balance will improve along with your confidence.
Because you can’t play any team sports on your own unless you’re faster than light, you’ll always be with someone when you play.
This means that team sports also offer a social element that works wonders when it comes to forgetting about your stressful day at work.
When you’re playing you need to be very focused on the game to make sure your chances of winning remain high.
And if you’re playing it properly, you’ll be too into the game to be thinking about anything other than your next move.
Team sports release endorphins and burn calories, making you feel happy and relaxed while getting you stronger and healthier.
And it also forces your competitive spirit to come out, which can be great fun!
Playing team sports – even if it’s just once a week – helps you relieve tension from your muscles, and it’s a great way of getting rid of stress through physical exercise.
Getting into team sports is easier than you think, and the benefits are just fantastic.
Why are stress relief exercises important?
To relieve stress you need to do something you enjoy, that will keep your head out of the situation that’s stressing you, and ideally, that keeps you moving.
No way of destressing is better than others, and what works for me may not work for you and vice versa.
We’ve given you some ways of unwinding that may or may not work for you, but that are definitely worth a try.
At the end of the day, we won’t be able to control what’s stressing us out, but we can be kind to our body and mind and find healthy ways to cope with the consequences of stress.
Some people may find that doing just one stress relief exercise from this list works wonders for them.
Some may find that they need to have different strategies in place to properly let stress out of their system.
Some may need an extra push or motivation to keep at it and not go back to unhealthy old habits.
And this is all okay.
You take this at your own pace and do what works for you.
And if you want insights or access to personalized suggestions, Miboko is your next step.
Apart from helping you develop and stick to healthy habits, Miboko helps you understand how your body metabolizes food so you can fuel yourself the right way.
And as with most apps, it helps you stay focused and on track.
Do you need Miboko to create a successful stress relief routine?
Of course not.
But it’ll be easier to stick to your new routine when you have expert knowledge and tailored suggestions in the palm of your hand.
We’re just a click away.
