Feeling flustered? Try these 3 simple fitness tips to calm you down

Are you keen to attain some peace of mind? The trick, as you will have heard, is to de-stress and stimulate the parasympathetic branch of your nervous system. However, that’s easier said than done in our busy lives.

The key to overcoming this hurdle is to foster an environment of homeostasis. The liver, the kidneys, and the brain (hypothalamus, the autonomic nervous system and the endocrine system all help maintain homeostasis.

Below are three tips on how you can achieve such a state.

Tip 1. Take in more oxygen

It is the most primary nutrient for our survival and you have around three minutes before your brain ceases to function in its absence.

Learning how to breathe efficiently is key for creating a homeostasis balance within your entire endocrine system and improving your oxygen input.

Here is a simple exercise, requiring no equipment, to assist and strengthen the diaphragm.

Step 1: Lie on the floor face up with your knees slightly bent. Place a small pillow or yoga block under the head if that is more comfortable for you.

Step 2: Place your hands on your stomach.

Step 3: Concentrate on breathing using the diaphragm, not using the chest, and feeling the stomach rise as the lungs fill from the bottom.

Step 4: Let the stomach fall naturally when breathing out by relaxing the diaphragm.

Step 5: Progress by placing a small weight on the stomach, such as a very light dumbbell, on do it all again.

The next stage is to stand up and place your hands on your stomach again, feeling how you breathe.

You may find this step requires some concentration initially.

Tip 2. Barefoot walking or running

It is known that the Earth maintains a negative electrical potential on its surface. When you are in direct contact with the ground (walking/running) the earth’s electrons are conducted through your body. Living in direct contact with the earth grounds your body, inducing favourable physiological and electrophysiological changes that promote optimum health.

Your immune system functions optimally when your body has an adequate supply of electrons, which are easily and naturally obtained by barefoot contact with the Earth.

You can walk or jog on the beach, in the park or while you take a lunch break, slip your shoes and socks.

Try to add it into your daily routine and you will be surprised how it can recharge your mental and physical energy.

Tip 3. Ease head tension

In today’s culture we spend hours sitting down which can lead to many problems such as neck pain and migraines. Applying some self myofascia release to the muscles around the neck and shoulders can be most rewarding in terms of immediate head stress relief.

You can do this sitting down anywhere.

Step 1: To locate the muscle place your hand on your shoulder than run up, feeling for the tension in-between the shoulder and the side of the neck.

Step 2: Holding a Thera Cane at the end of the handle use the side adjustments to pin point the tender spots in the shoulders and make sure you avoid boney areas.

Most of the tension in this muscle is found in the front and side portions around the base of your neck.

Being such a dense area it may take up to 5-10 minutes.

Please refer to diagram for the exact location of the muscle.

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Fitness expert Vahdaneh Vahid can be reached on Facebook and Instagram.