When it comes to weight loss, stress can prevent the body system from working properly, thus not allowing the metabolism to burn fat.
There are two systems that control internal functions of the body. The parasympathetic nervous system and the sympathetic nervous system.
The parasympathetic nervous system is concerned with resting and digestion. So, if you are relaxed. This allows your blood pressure and heart rate to lower plus helps with digestion.
Today we live in a world with a fast pace, constant stimulation, 24/7 social media, the need to get immediate answers, traffic and the idea that we always need to be in a hurry. Plus, many of us are always multi-tasking and taking on too much. This can produce that fight or flight response of running for your life. Then we have created a constant state of stress.
Most of us have come to realize that stress is a principal cause of many of the health problems in our society.
The new buzzword now is stress related, there is now stress related diseases and stress related behavior. The next thing will be stress related stress.
The hardest thing for us to do is change our behavior, or see what it is doing to us or the anxiety it generates. That is where proper breathing comes in to help.
Most people have a hard time learning to relax, we always feel like we need to be doing something. So, something as basic as breathing can help you relax and calm down. This creates an opportunity to deal with stress.
We are taking action by breathing which is converted to energy. The problem is that the shallow breathing that we do doesn’t provide enough energy. Effective breathing begins in the abdomen. Teaching yourself this simple method will have an immediate impact. Once you have it down you can do it anytime, anyplace.
Learning is simple.
Lie down on your back and place your hands on your abdomen. Practice breathing by expanding your abdomen muscles outward as you inhale.
I like to inhale to the count of four. Hold for a count of four, exhale for a count account of four. Now for some people, inhaling to the count of eight, holding for a count of four then exhaling for a count of eight works better for them. At different times of the day, you can do this and experience results in a short period of time. Breathing can become a tool for dealing with stress. Relaxing and releasing tension is great for a healthy lifestyle.
Good luck and let me know if you have any questions.
The preceding information was taken from an article by Gabriel Bates in On Fitness magazine volume 1, number 18 2017