Every day, in Canada, over 70% of Canadians will feel some sort of stress or anxiety. Especially throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the amount of stress in the air has been on the increase.
There are some very easy exercises one can do at home to relieve stress. Even 10-15 minutes in the morning or afternoon can do wonders at calming the body. In fact, exercise is the most effective natural stress reliever there is. Here are some ideas on where to start on your home exercise journey.
Workout with Lierre Resistance Bands
Resistance bands open up the exercises you can perform at home. Lierre resistance bands allow you to work your arms, back, chest, legs, and shoulders. It help to increase strength, to help stretch ligaments and muscle. It’s best for a full-body workout without any dumbbells or barbells. Lierre resistance bands include 3 sizes, each resistance band is set to a different level of difficulty, duplicating what one might feel working out with weights.
These resistance bands specialize in training the glutes, knees, and hips. They can be added onto squats, lunges, and other leg exercises. Like TheraBand’s other resistance band types, they are color-coded with varying difficulties. Engage your muscles through strength and flexibility exercises.
Yoga
Yoga is a great stress-reliever. It lowers stress hormones in the short- and long-term, release endorphins, and engages the body in a natural pain-killing response. Yoga has been shown to improve sleep quality as well. Like other home exercise types on this list, yoga has all sorts of modifications which makes it as easy or as difficult as you want it to be.
Running-in-Place
The most basic exercise any of us can do is running in place. Ensure you have good quality footwear and start a jog without going anywhere. This elevates your heart rate, provides you controlled physical stress, and relieves mental stress. If you have a step counter or FitBit-like monitoring device, it can also be fun watching the numbers climb as you jog in place.
Fitness Massage Ball
Why a fitness massage ball makes our list is because it’s physical but also relaxation. Use it on painful areas of the body and all you have to do is apply pressure. For tight knotted muscles, release any stress in them instantly. It’s self-myofascial release at its finest through trigger-point therapy.
Bodyweight Exercises
If you don’t have any weights at home, create your own resistance by using your own weight. Push-ups engage the chest muscles, squats and lunges engage the legs, supermans work the back, and there’s so much more. There are plenty of home workout tutorials on YouTube combining bodyweight exercises with resistance band exercise, yoga, tai chi, and moderate cardiovascular work.
These are all excellent places to start. After even a single session, you may feel significantly different. In the long-term, the health benefits of exercise are astounding. Find a routine that works for you.