Physical exercise of any kind is beneficial; however, workouts that combine body movement with mental focus and controlled breathing may provide additional advantages such as relieving anxiety, improving sleep quality, increasing balance and strength as well as strengthening the mind-body connection – such as yoga, tai chi or qigong.
Psychotherapy can teach coping methods to alleviate excessive worry. There are also some self-help measures you can implement at home to alleviate excessive worrying. exercise habits; you can use them to create an optimal balance of mental and physical well-being.
1. Breathing Exercises
Regular breathing exercises that help calm the body, mind, and emotions are an effective way to manage stress. One such exercise is diaphragmatic belly breathing (also referred to as pursed-lip breathing). This technique involves inhaling through your nose while placing hands on your chest to feel lung expansion/contraction as you breathe deeply into your abdomen before exhaling through tightly pressed lips – an exercise also useful for people living with respiratory conditions such as emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Implementing regular exercise into your schedule is proven to reduce stress and anxiety, but for additional benefits, try adding mind-body classes like yoga, Pilates, barre, and tai chi into the mix. These classes combine relaxing movements with focused breathing to develop strength, balance, and flexibility – research has also proven these exercises improve sleep, digestion, and mood.
2. Yoga
Yoga combines low-impact physical activity, postures (called asanas), breath control, relaxation, and meditation into a holistic practice to increase strength, balance, and flexibility and manage anxiety. It can even improve performance at work or school!
Yoga has quickly become a sought-after method to alleviate stress and anxiety. Used as an adjunct therapy for anxiety, it helps improve concentration, decrease irritability, and promote relaxation; plus, it increases resilience as well as encourages an optimistic outlook.
Studies have demonstrated the therapeutic potential of yoga to treat generalized anxiety disorder. Yoga may serve as a complement to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which is the standard psychological treatment for anxiety. Yoga may also be combined with medications like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and beta blockers for treating anxiety symptoms. Yoga has been found to boost mood by modulating hypothalamic pituitary-adrenal axis balance, autonomic balance, breathing exercises, and mediation/mindfulness aspects of yoga that enhance mood as well.
3. Tai Chi
Tai Chi can be described as “meditation in motion.” It is low impact and gentle movements are low on muscles and joints, so beginners can get started easily, while even experienced fitness enthusiasts can benefit from its focus on balance.
Mind-body workouts such as this combine physical movement with breathing techniques and meditation to reduce stress levels and boost well-being. Studies have revealed its ability to increase energy, boost self-esteem, combat depression and anxiety, and even boost mood!
Yoga is another well-known mind-body exercise to combat depression. Its gentle movements can improve balance, strength, and flexibility while connecting you with your breath – studies have even demonstrated its efficacy at lowering the stress hormone cortisol and relieving pain or stiffness; studies also link yoga with improved sleep and an enhanced immune system.
4. Meditation
Spending too much time daydreaming, worrying, or dwelling on negative thoughts can be extremely tiring and can even contribute to anxiety and depression. Meditation provides a tool that helps focus our thoughts away from such thoughts and back into the present moment.
Body scan meditation, for instance, entails focusing on different parts of your body to assess how they feel – it can be an excellent way of identifying physical signs of anxiety, such as an upset stomach or tight fists.
Researchers conducted a small study and discovered that just 10 minutes of mindfulness meditation can significantly decrease ruminative thought patterns among people suffering from anxiety. You can either follow along with a guided video or do it independently; just be consistent and commit to practicing it every day, no matter if you don’t initially notice any difference – over time, practicing will become easier as your practice continues.