The nervous and emotional system is certainly linked to the development of diseases such as the blood pressure, and this is confirmed by a recent study, which states that face stress well could turn away from this disease.
The research analyzed the tolerance to stress of more than 1 million and a half young healthy between 1969 and 1997 and found that those who had low ability to overcome stress at 18 years of age, were precisely those higher rates of hypertension they had in adulthood.
This link was independent of other factors such as those socioeconomic, family or BMI background but who had a low ability to cope with stress and also has overweight were at greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
This does not indicate a low tolerance to stress can lead to hypertension, but perhaps learn to face this evil so prevalent today and could help us stay away from the disease.
So it is advisable for health care and stay away from diseases that can cause stress such as hypertension, it is advisable to always develop strategies that help us recover and / or tolerate stress, for example:
- Set priorities and establish the relevance of different aspects that can be stressful, so to award real value to every problem without too much stress out by simple questions.
- Learn to say NO to the offer of tasks and / or accountability.
- Manage times and times correctly, always leaving room for relaxing activities and to our satisfaction, as well as limiting the absorbent tasks or limiting
- Physical exercise regularly, among other mental benefits, can reduce stress and help to recover or better cope with stress.
- Caring diet and daily rest, as both factors can influence our stress level. A healthy diet and choosing right foods can help reduce stress as well as make sure you get enough rest every night.
Of course, in addition, to these resources, we can implement all those who help us reduce signs of stress in our body that can determine the health of the body, such as low mental performance, insomnia, fatigue, irritability or other.
It is always good to know that we can control our stress levels and this, not only could stay away from hypertension arterial long term but also improve our quality of life and our health in general.
It is not unknown to anyone, at this point, the marked increase in mental problems in today’s society and a large part of these problems are due to stress. That is obvious, because, with the crazy pace that we have been carrying, it is very difficult to maintain sanity. One of the therapeutic alternatives handled more wisely, take advantage of the relationship between sport and stress, to supplement or replace psychiatric and psychological treatments.
Too much, stress in today’s society
The consumerist society in which we have become leads to a crazy race in an attempt to achieve success quickly, to buy and have more than our peers, losing sight of our real needs, affections and ultimately, our own life, after falling into grace to others. Because ultimately, that’s what it is. All seek possessions, glamor, success and other paraphernalia, for the plain and simple fact that we all wish that we want. It is there where he appears stress and its derivatives.
And in this post we are leaving out the majority group of the world’s population cannot afford to get stressed out or think of possessions, because they are too busy just trying to survive.
We clarify that in the stress should include disorders such as depression and anxiety. These problems are usually treated with psychotherapy and drugs, but these treatments may have side effects, in addition to its extremely high monetary cost. This has led specialists to search for new solutions and one of these has been the practice of sports.
According to studies, exercise would have a preventive and therapeutic value for depression and anxiety. Of course, this is not new, since the value of sport was known since the time of Hippocrates, but modern medicine was losing interest in these therapies, as always, in favor of more modern technologies such as psychopharmacology and neurobiology, the panacea is believed at the time. Alternatively, what would be the same, in the interests of large laboratories and the upper echelons of power? However, as always, the panaceas do not work as we hope and return to natural methods.
Benefits of sport in the treatment of stress
One need not be a rocket scientist to know the benefits of sport on the emotions of human beings just practice some ourselves and see the results. Our body works better, we feel better, happier, we toil less and we look better. This alone helps to reduce the burden of stress.
These benefits are not exclusive to elite athletes, but operating at any level, even with athletes’ seniors or people with physical disabilities.
We will see that the contributions of exercise to our body can be summarized in three areas: cardiorespiratory, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility. Numerous studies aerobically and anaerobically used to treat depression and anxiety disorders activities.
Studies have shown that sports activities contribute to significantly reduce anxiety. For example, we can see improvements after an aerobic workout.
How to treat stress with exercise
Of course not just any exercise will serve for these treatments, they must meet certain requirements to produce the calming effect: they must be rhythmic (running, jumping over obstacles, walking, cycling), the duration of the activity may range from 5 to 30 minutes, with an intensity that constitutes 30-60% of the maximum allowed each subject.
It is true that there are no miracles and all this work after a period of training, which can take between four and twenty weeks.
On the other hand, it is shown that one of the triggers of depression is a lack of exercise. Some psychotherapists have compared the value of the practice of exercise with some traditional psychological treatments.
Based on this, we can conclude that the practice of sports and physical exercise, can be an alternative to psychological treatments, or, at least, can be a complement thereof, according to the case. Do not forget that exercise causes a mental well -being and psychological improvement, by itself, so it is beneficial in any case, although not suffering from stress.
The mechanism works in this case, is that exercise provides a reduction of state anxiety; also, it decreases moderate depression, reduces stress, neuroses, promotes the treatment of severe depression and is psychologically beneficial for people of both sexes and any age.
Of course, that certain types of exercise such as high intensity, no help reduce depression, but also increase fatigue, stress, and problems of character.
Tips for coping with stress
While many think that the stress is unavoidable in life today, we must say that much depends on the perception we have each about what happens outside. That is, for some individuals have to pay will be very stressful while for others, it cannot be that examination.
Then, as soon told us we suggest that we can emerge triumphant from today’s hectic life if we change some thoughts and acquire skills that contribute to achieving. To do this, here are some tips for coping with stress and prevent the consequences it may have on the body.
- Taking time to self: Must never forget that at least 30 minutes a day we devote to us, to read, to watch a movie we like to listen to music or walk.
- Set priorities: Not only helps us organize the time but also to realize that often care about things that are not urgent or necessary.
- Learn to say “no”: Often we completed To-Do filled because we do not know say, “I cannot”, “I do not want”, “I must not.”
- Sharing feelings: We can talk with our family and friends about what we experience, what we feel emotional, as this helps to discharge part of the tensions that generate negative emotions.
- Relaxation exercises: They can be simple as those related to breathing or may be any yoga posture, some stretching or other help to relax.
- Monitor essential aspects: Diet, sleep, social relations and exercise are fundamental to consider to successfully dealing with stress, as poor diet and little nighttime sleep can lead to aggravating the stressful situation aspects.
- Look with new eyes: That is, seen from a different perspective what stresses us? For example: to analyze the severity of a test, the advantages render it and what can happen if it is not approved.
Often we overestimate how stressful a situation without realizing it, aggravators the same, so, these tips can help us cope with stress and succeed at this, which is of great value to the health of the body.
8 strategies to reduce stress
The stress is influential in the development of many diseases and illnesses factor, so control their power levels and resists its consequences implies immunize and protect health.
The cortisol is one of the main hormones involved in stress, which helps regulate the immune system, blood pressure, hours of sleep and influences the mood for the purpose of the body to survive the stress is affecting you. For this reason, high and lasting levels of cortisol can cause insomnia, low body’s defenses, changes in blood glucose levels and other consequences that try to ward off by 8 strategies to reduce stress.
- Meditation: In a Thai study found that, individuals who practice Buddhist meditation had lower levels of cortisol and blood pressure. Also, those who meditated daily for 4 months decreased by around 20% cortisol levels, as indicated by a study from the University of Maharishi.
- Music: Music can calm the brain and reduce stress levels generated by any circumstance or an invasive medical examination, as evidenced in a study by doctors in Japan.
- Getting enough sleep or take a nap: Sleep less than 8 hours a day can mean 50% more cortisol than those who sleep this time. In a study in Germany at the Institute of Aerospace Medicine, it found that drivers who slept 6 or fewer hours for seven nights had more cortisol levels remained high for two days. If you do not have the 8 hours required to manage stress, take a nap can help reduce cortisol levels.
- Black tea: a study at University College London, found that people who drank black tea after a stressful task reduced by 47% the levels of cortisol. Scientists believe that polyphenols and flavonoids contained in black tea may be responsible for its calming effect.
- Friends: Simply hanging out with a friend can moderate the hormonal stress response and can have cortisol levels just laugh a period of time, as according to a study at the University of Loma Linda.
- Massage: An investigation by the University of Miami has shown that after several weeks of massage, cortisol levels are reduced by almost a third. In addition, massage allows counteract stress by releasing dopamine and serotonin, the happiness hormones also occur when socializing with friends or do something fun.
- Do something spiritual: Religious rituals or believe in a higher being empowers people to stressful situations and can reduce cortisol. If you do not want a particular religion, you can do something spiritual through a walk outdoors, for example.
- Chewing gum: Chewing gum simply reduces stress and salivary cortisol levels by about 12%.
All these strategies to reduce stress, I need to add physical activity, dancing or just walking outdoors. As this is usually for me an excellent therapy against stress.