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Don’t absorb stress, release it!

By on May 18, 2020

Coronavirus has disrupted everything from school and day care to work and social life – and it’s stressing out a lot of parents and children.

Exercise not constant digital distraction is one of the most important things you can do to combat stress. A lack of physical activity can lead to mental health problems and peace at home, warns experts.

Why we avoid exercise.

Our relationship with exercise often falls into one of two thoughts – either we avoid it or think of it as torturing ourselves. When someone says “I don’t like to exercise,” it is a mindset talking. Our body needs exercise to thrive. When we don’t move, we have more aches and pains and increase our chances of sickness and disease. Not exercising is sending the wrong message to your children that it’s okay to lead a sedentary life. Belief often shapes experiences and when you say ‘I don’t have time,’  that belief becomes a fixed reality. Get rid of that belief and you reap the rewards of a healthy body.

Should I do Yoga or Gym?  What are the differences?

There are many similarities between yoga and gym sessions but so are the differences.

A  yoga practice provides an effective and challenging whole-body workout while stilling and focusing the mind.  The good thing about yoga is that you can customize your practice to suit your goals.  Another good thing is you can do it in the privacy of your own home with just a yoga mat and comfortable clothing.

Like a gym session, yoga will help build and tone the body, alleviate stress, stimulate circulation, boost endorphin levels and trim down excess body fat. Although mental focus is required during a session in the gym, the mind is often able to deviate from the activity as it is possible to watch TV screens or listen to music.

Yoga requires the body and the mind to be united and engaged in the same activity.  This helps remove mental clutter, puts the mind at ease and encourages patience. In a yoga class, the body is moved mindfully through a series of postures.  Moving in such a manner provides the time and space to become aware of imbalances or areas of tension.  Once awareness is brought to such sensations we can then work to rebalance and realign the body to reduce stress on the joints.  It is possible that during a session in the gym, the mind is focused on the results rather than the process.

A gym environment suits people who want competition.  Yoga encourages spiritual growth. It encourages and promotes flexibility, ensuring that the spinal column, joints and muscles move freely.  In the gym, the muscles can become fatigued and tightness can be experienced.  The slow controlled breathing performed during yoga will provide focus, induce a sense of mental peace and increase oxygen levels in the body; whereas during a session in the gym, the breathing often speeds up and shortens which encourages the mind to race and limits the supply of oxygen to the body.  This results in tired muscles and increased levels of lactic acid.

About Tim Furukawa