De-stress in 10 Minutes or Less

from HealthyWomen’s e-newsletter, HealthyWomen Take 10

When stress or anxiety has you feeling tied up in knots, jittery or unable to fall asleep, you can lower your mental tension by using a physical technique-progressive muscle relaxation.

This method enables you to lower your body’s stress response and calm your spirits by identifying and releasing tension in your muscles.

You can practice progressive muscle relaxation in any quiet space. Sit or lie down (on your back or side) in a comfortable position. But, be warned—if you do progressive muscle relaxation exercises in bed, you may fall asleep before finishing a full cycle!

Take off your shoes before beginning. Loosen tight clothing.

To use this technique, you will be tensing a muscle or group of muscles by tightening or squeezing them firmly. Hold that tension, then release quickly and relax. Notice the difference between how the muscles feel when they are tense and when they are relaxed.

1. Begin either at the top of your body, with your eyebrows, or at the bottom, with the toes and foot on your left or right side.
2. Inhale and focus on the individual muscle group as you tighten it. To tighten your foot, curl your toes in; for your hand, make a tight fist; for your eyebrows, raise them as high as they’ll go.
3. Hold that squeeze for about five seconds.
4. Release and relax for about 30 seconds. If you have time, you may want to repeat each tension/release twice.
5. Wherever you began your exercise, continue from that point downward (or upward) so that your muscles are tensed and relaxed in order.
6. Do one foot (or hand) at a time. After completing the entire leg (or arm), then switch to the other side.
7. Continue with abdomen, chest, neck/shoulders and face.
8. After you’ve finished, breathe slowly and deeply a few times. As you exhale, release any remaining tension. Enjoy the relaxed feeling for a minute or two before getting up.

For more information on the health topics mentioned in this article visit the HealthyWomen.org areas below.

Managing Stress: www.healthywomen.org/ages-and-stages/healthy-living/managing-stress

Anxiety and Depression Center: www.healthywomen.org/healthcenter/anxiety-and-depression

Mental Health Center: www.healthywomen.org/healthcenter/mental-health

© 2010 HealthyWomen All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from HealthyWomen. 1-877-986-9472 (toll-free). On the Web at: www.HealthyWomen.org.

Tai Chi May Improve Your Overall Health

 

Have you ever tried Tai Chi? If not it may be worth looking into…

The picture above certainly makes Tai Chi look enticing and relaxing.

Tai Chi originated in China and is often referred to as “meditation in motion.”  Tai Chi involves low-impact, slow motion mind-body exercises.  Movements are never forced, usually circular, not stressful on joints making it a great exercise for anyone of any age.

A growing body of research is now demonstrating multiple health benefits when Tai Chi is added to more traditional medical treatments.  Many of these studies were small but provide some interesting preliminary results.

Tai Chi has been suggested to:

• Decrease arthritis pain
• Improve quality of life and functional capacity in women with breast cancer or suffering side effects from breast cancer
• Lower blood pressure, improve triglyceride and cholesterol levels, improve exercise capacity (Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 9/2008)
• Improve walking distance and quality of life in heart failure patients
• Lower blood pressure (Preventive Cardiology 9/2008)
• Improve balance and gait in post stroke patients and people with Parkinson’s disease
• Improve sleep quality and duration (Sleep 7/2008)
• Lowers stress levels

You may also find tai chi appealing because it’s inexpensive, requires no special equipment and can be done indoors or out, either alone or in a group.

Although tai chi is generally safe, consider talking with your doctor before starting a new program.

If you are looking for more info about heart health please visit www.heart-strong.com or check out our Facebook site at http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#!/profile.php?id=1443402011

Music for a Healthy Mind and Body

 From the National Women’s Health Resource Center’s e-newsletter  HealthyWomen Take 10.

 Patients having an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) test must lie very still for 30 to 60 minutes, often enclosed inside the machine’s tube. Because of that, the most valuable piece of equipment in MRI testing often isn’t the multimillion-dollar scanner. It’s something that costs far less—the headphones that many centers put on patients so they can listen to their favorite type of music while undergoing the test. That music makes time seem to pass more quickly and enjoyably. It also serves an important health function by lowering stress and reducing anxiety. Music can deliver psychological and physical benefits in a wide range of medical uses and health conditions. A study released in August 2009 looked at open-heart surgery patients who listened to music on the day after their surgery. Those patients experienced increased relaxation levels as well as higher levels of the neurotransmitter oxytocin, a hormone related to feelings of bonding and comfort. Listening to or performing instrumental music, as well as singing (individually or communally in a choir), can reduce blood pressure, lessen pain and anxiety, ease stress and may help keep cognition sharp—all at low cost and without adding medication. Singing was found to have such a positive effect on the depression that often follows knee surgery that one group of Italian researchers advocated music therapy over drug intervention for such patients. Whether you play an instrument or not, you can benefit from the power of music to help heal. Sing out loud by yourself at home or in a community group, take a music player along when you go for any medical test or procedure and remember to turn on your favorite tunes when stress intensifies. Just 30 minutes of what researchers call “music intervention” is often enough to reduce anxiety and increase relaxation. Your body and spirit will feel the difference.

References

Nilsson U. “Soothing Music Can Increase Oxytocin Levels During Bed Rest After Open-Heart Surgery: A Randomised Control Trial.” Journal of Clinical Nursing. 2009;18(15):2153-2161.

Sutoo D, Akiyama K. “Music Improves Dopaminergic Neurotransmission: Demonstration Based on the Effect of Music on Blood Pressure Regulation.” Brain Research. 2004;1016(2):255-262.

Nilsson U. “The Anxiety- and Pain-Reducing Effects of Music Interventions: A Systematic Review.” Association of periOperative Registered Nurses Journal. 2008;87(4):780-807.

Koelsch S. “A Neuroscientific Perspective on Music Therapy.” Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 2009;1169:374-384.

Giaquinto S, Cacciato A, Minasi S, et al. “Effects of Music-Based Therapy on Distress Following Knee Arthroplasty.” British Journal of Nursing. 2006;15(10):576-579.

Lee OK, Chung YF, Chan MF, Chan WM. “Music and Its Effects on the Physiological Responses and Anxiety Levels of Patients Receiving Mechanical Ventilation: A Pilot Study.” Journal of Clinical Nursing. 2005;14(5):609-620.

© 2009 National Women’s Health Resource Center, Inc. (NWHRC) All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from the NWHRC. 1-877-986-9472 (tollfree). On the Web at: www.healthywomen.org.