Goodbye TENSION

The body doesn't need tension.  When your tense, it affects your heart.  We all need to learn how to unwind. Here are some tips to help:

1.  LAUGH OFTEN-Laughter reduces stress hormones, which attack your heart.  Laughter increases your load of "feel-good endorphins." 

***Did you know that children laugh more than 300x per day, while adults laugh only about 15x a day?

2.  EXERCISE MORE-Exercise makes your heart more efficient and lowers yoru heart rate in stressful situations.  A sudden spike in heart rate can rupture vulnerable plaque, leading to a heart attack.  Exercise also reduces artery inflammation, raised HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol), and lowers blood pressure. 

**Did you know that you can do 15 minutes worth of some sort of exercising a couple times a day and still get benefits?  Start small then build up to 45 minute increments. 

3.  BREATHE DEEPLY-Under stress, blood pressure increases, muscles clench, and breathing gets short.  To soothe yourself, deepen your breathing, inhale through your nose (the stomach expands) and exhale through your mouth (the stomack slacks).  Make the exhalation twice as long as the inhalation.  Practice doing this in worry-free situations so you can rely on it when you feel frazzled.

**Did you know that you should allow one day a week for stretching and deep-breathing exercises, such as Yoga?  This allows the body to recover from any strenuous activity or stress you have been under during the week.

WHAT ARE SOME WAYS YOU EASE TENSION?  HOW CAN YOU IMPROVE?  SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS BELOW: