Exercise:  The Natural Work Stress Reducer
by Linda Gravett, Ph.D., SPHR and Robin Throckmorton, M.A., SPHR

Do you ever feel stressed?  Nahhhh…none of us do, right?  We don’t get stress headaches or have problems sleeping or get overly tired.  We don’t even get those tense muscle pains in the back of our neck, shoulders, or back.  And, we never ever get depressed or edgy, right?  But do you realize that these are all symptoms of stress and if you don’t try to manage your stress it could lead to even worse problems such as high blood pressure, ulcers, heart attack, or damaged relationships?

What’s the best solution for stress?  Exercise!

We’ll be the first to agree that exercise isn’t easy, but exercise also doesn’t need to be long and painful.  You’ll see results even if you can only take a few minutes to exercise.   Once you get started you won’t want to stop and you’ll even be more productive with your ever day life including your ability to concentrate, energy level, and creativity.

But before you begin your exercise, you need to learn how to breathe right. 

We all were born with the appropriate breathing technique but quickly lose it due to the day to day stress.  Watch a baby – they breathe long deep breaths in through the nose and out the nose.  Studies show that slowing down your breathing calms the nervous system, which in turn lowers blood pressure and heart rate, reduces stress hormone levels and increases energy levels.  Therefore, the deep breathing we did when we were born is a highly effective tool against asthma, poor digestion, weight gain, sleeplessness, high blood pressure, heart disease, AND STRESS. 

We suggest you try this as a prelude to your exercise routine and a way to calm your mind:

• Sit in a chair with both feet on the floor with your shoulders back and your chin up. 
• Place your hands on your diaphragm so that you can feel the movement of your breathing. 
• Breathe in deeply through your nose filling your abdomen and chest with air from bottom to top like you are filling a balloon.
• Exhale all the air out of your nose from top to bottom. 
• Repeat 20 times, even just 5 – 10 will help.

This is just one breathing technique of many.  If this one doesn’t work for you, research other techniques until you find one that is comfortable and refreshing for you.  The key is controlling your breathing while you exercise will help you build endurance and continue to benefit from oxygenating your body.

Now that you know how to breathe, let’s talk about exercise.  We’ve learned some excellent techniques and concepts about exercise and stress reduction from the martial arts.  Robin studies Yoga and Pilates and has two children and a husband who are 1^st Degree Blackbelts in the Maududo form of Karate.  Linda studies T’ai Chi and is a 5^th Degree Blackbelt in TaeKwondo.  We’ve learned that the first place to start for successful exercise is with deep breathing exercises, and then introduce some low-impact exercises that can actually be done while sitting at your desk and then work up to a full exercise routine to get your heart rate going.

Some of the exercises we like are:

T’ai Chi - Repulse Monkey Form 
(Benefits:  relaxes neck and shoulder muscles, improves circulation in hands and arms)

• Hold your left hand at face level with the palm facing upward.
• Swing your right arm back, following the motion with your eyes by turning your head to look over your shoulder.
• Sweep your arm forward and over your shoulder so that your right hand will pass over your left about 2 to 3 inches above it.
• Bring your right hand past your left hand.
• Turn your right hand palm up and wing your left arm behind you as your turn your head to follow the motion.
• Bring the left hand over the right without touching your hands together.
• Slide the left hand forward.

Repetitions:  Nine on each side, for a total of 18.

T’ai Chi - Brushing Tree Trunk Form
(Benefits:  tightens abdomen, improves circulation in hands and arms, relaxes shoulders)

• Extend your arms and reach for the ceiling.  Take a deep breath expanding your diaphragm.
• Swing your right arm down across your chest to your left side.  The left arm remains stretched towards the ceiling.
• As your right arm wraps around your waist on the left side, turn your head so you are looking to your right.  Your body is twisted to the left but your head is turned in the opposite direction.  Breathe out as you bend forward and tighten your abdomen.
• Swing your right arm up again and reverse the rotation so that your left arm is resting on your right hip.  Turn your head to the left.  Exhale as you bend over and twist.

Repetitions:  Nine times on each side.  

Yoga Tree Pose
(Benefits:  focus, concentration, balance, strength, and stretching)

·        Stand straight with your hands at your sides balancing your weight evenly on both feet.

·        Begin to shifting the weight over to the right foot, lifting the left foot off the floor.

·        Bend the left knee bringing the sole of the left foot high onto the inner right thigh.

·        Keep both hips squared towards the front.

·        Place your hands on your hips for balance.  To advance, raise your hands up in front of you over your head.

·        Focus on something that doesn’t move to help you keep the balance.

·        Hold for 30 – 60 seconds.

·        Repeat standing on the left foot.

For more challenge, try closing your eyes.

Yoga Plank
(Benefits:  endurance, core strengthening)

·        Lie on your stomach supporting yourself on your forearms

·        Lift your body parallel to the floor keeping your head/neck in line with your spin looking straight down at the floor

·        Hold this position for 30 – 60 seconds

For more challenge, lift yourself up on your arms so your shoulders are directly over your wrists. 

Pilates Hundred
(Benefits:  strengthens the core)

·        Lie flat on the floor on your back.

·        Keeping your back flat on the floor, raise both your legs to a 90 degree angle and then lower back toward the floor to a challenging level without lifting your back off the floor.

·        Keeping your back flat on the floor, raise your head and shoulders off the floor.

·        Keeping arms extended, lift and lower them about two inches from the floor, breathing in on the lift and out on the lower.

·        Do this for 5 up-and-down beats. Repeat 10 times until you have done a "hundred."

These are just a few of our favorites that can be done almost anywhere but are especially a great way to start your day.  To build your own routine, check out some of these resources:

•         YogaJournal.com

•         PotentialsUnlimited.com

•         RealAge.com

•         Assessment.com

•         BambooWeb.com

•         SpaSong.com

•         Relaxability.com

•         VibrantFlow.com

•         http://yoga.about.com

•         Darrin Zeer:  Office Spa, Office Yoga, Everyday Calm

•         Julie Lusk: Desktop Yoga

•         Diana Fairechild: Office Yoga

•         Dawn Groves: Yoga for Busy People

•         Cynthia Quarta: T’ai Chi in a Chair

•         Terra Wellington : Balanced Living

•         Andrew Williams: How Do You Compare?

Remember, the main way to reduce physical stress is to release endorphins into the bloodstream which is done through exercise.  Getting a 20-30 minute workout three to four days a week is critical to keeping the endorphins flowing and the heart pumping.  According to the American Institute of Stress, Americans spend about $11.3 billion a year coping with stress-related illnesses and injuries.  Stress has been linked to leading causes of death such as heart disease, cancer, and suicide.  Up to 60% of employee absences are caused by psychological disorders.  We encourage you to avoid being one of those statistics.  Focus your breathing and figure out the best exercise plan for you…Get moving! 

If you have questions or comments about this article or think your office would benefit from our highly interactive session titled “Martial Arts Strategies for Managing Stress at the Office,” please email Linda Gravett at Linda@gravett.com or Robin Throckmorton at Robin@StrategicHRinc.com.