Secrets to a Less Stressful Life
Life moves pretty fast. Everyone has friends, family, coworkers, bills, taxes – there’s just so much going on that it can be hard not to be stressed out. While there may be factors in your life you can’t control that cause you stress, there are a few things you can assert power over to help reduce it too. Here are a few suggestions from Los Angeles personal trainer Lalo Fuentes, CSCS, to help you reduce the stress in your life!
Take Deep Breaths
This one may seem simple, but it works! Your breath has immense power to help you navigate the emotional and physical challenges in your life. When you’re stressed, upset, or scared, your breathing accelerates. Sometimes so much that you can’t even speak. But here’s what you should know: You have the resources you need to re-center, re-focus, and slow your breath down. And it makes for a simple way to control a situation – because you do have control over your breathing.
According to personal trainer Lalo Fuentes, “Close your eyes and take a big breath in, then slowly exhale until you can feel your heart and breathing slow. All you need to do is put your focus on your breathing and you can overcome any situation.” Once you’ve got it under control, you can look at any stressful situation from a new perspective and work to overcome it.
Exercise
It’s true! Exercise is one of the best ways to help your body de-stress. Any form of exercise, from burpees to strength training to running to yoga can act as a stress reliever in your life. How does that work, exactly? Well, there are a few ways that meeting up with your Los Angeles personal trainer helps you to cut stress. For example:
It releases endorphins – Endorphins are your body’s natural feel-good chemicals. When you exercise, your body releases them. This is where the “high” feeling people experience after exercise comes from.
It’s meditation – When you’re in motion and focusing on something else, such as a set of reps or form while you do a push-up, it distracts your mind from the irritations and concerns of the day. It allows you to let go of the things bouncing around in your brain for just a little while.
It boosts your mood – Exercising regularly can help to increase your confidence, relax you, and lower symptoms associated with stress, depression, and anxiety. Exercise also improves the quality of your sleep, helping you feel rejuvenated and refreshed as you begin each day anew.
Treat Yourself
You deserve to do something nice for yourself every once in a while, so spend a little time each week doing something relaxing where you are the main focus. Go get a massage, take a warm bath with some candles, go on a weekend getaway, or do a workout with your personal trainer. Whatever you choose to do, carving out time to slow down and be present in the moment can help you to reduce stress in your life.
Life can be tough and it’s certainly full of challenges. You simply need to remember that you have the power to overcome these challenges and beat stress – with the help of your Los Angeles personal trainer, of course!