2020 has had us stressed out!
Let’s face it. 2020 has been an incredibly hard year. We have faced all sorts of challenges: job change/loss, isolation, anxiety, fear, schooling changes, financial worries, not to mention the hardest of all, the loss of loved ones – the list seems endless. All of these circumstances have caused unusually high levels of stress to our bodies. When we are stressed, our bodies release adrenaline and cortisol. Under “normal circumstances” a.k.a “not 2020”, we may experience a relatively short moment of stress that then is replaced by the comfort and predictability of our routines. Not so much the case this year!
Stress hormones & how they affect your body
This year we have felt stressed continually. One unpredictable circumstance has lead to the next with seemingly no end in sight. This means that on a physical level, our bodies have been bombarded by unusually high levels of stress hormones on a continual basis. Experiencing such high levels of stress hormones over a prolonged period of time can cause serious health issues including increased risk of heart disease, anxiety, depression, headaches and migraines, digestive problems, sleep problems, and a long laundry list of other issues.
What can be done?
The short answer and straight to the point is, “DON’T stop moving”. You should do your best to not stop moving when you’re feeling stressed. Why is that the case? Movement helps lower stress hormones in our bodies and helps our bodies produce happy feel good hormones like dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins. These hormones help us regulate our mood, sleep, digestion, appetite, pain, and so much more.
Equally important to movement is BREATHING. Conscious breathing helps us calm our central nervous system and bring on a feeling of calm and relaxation.
Pilates is an effective way to decrease stress levels
The Pilates Method in particular combines conscious movement and attention to breathing in such a way that by the end of a session you’ve released a tremendous amount of tension and stress from your body. Breath and concentration are the two first principles behind the method. Both allow us to enter a focused state of mind, so that we can move our bodies with precision and flow. The flow is what leads to the mental relief because there isn’t space or time to think of any stressful factors in our lives as we are moving through our session. By the time we get to the end of our session we’ve let go of the tension in our shoulders, the stiffness in our back, the tightness in our neck and jaw, and the frown on our brow and we’re ready to face our lives with more peace and calm.
Let us help you feel the benefits of Pilates for stress relief in your life. Call us today at 562 477 9650 for a FREE consultation and feel the difference of working with an experienced and enthusiastic team who is dedicated to supporting you. You won’t regret it!