T
he jury is back and strong evidence is available to confirm the verdict; exercise is at least as effective as antidepressants. Consistent exercise, along with medication and counselling can help people overcome depression. The good news is it is not something you have to do for 10 weeks and its not something you have to do with high intensity. The positive effect can be experienced right away.
Researchers at the University of Texas found that people suffering from depression who walked for 30 minutes felt more vigorous and had a greater sense of well-being. Another study at Duke tested exercise against Zoloft and found the ability of either – or a combination of the two—to reduce or eliminate symptoms about the same. But they found exercise seemed to do a better job of keeping symptoms from coming back after the depression lifted.
One expert in the field says "exercise is clearly associated with mental-health benefits." And moderate exercisers show lowered blood-pressure levels and a resultant positive mood. The key is moderate exercise, performed a minimum of 30 minutes, three or four times a week. Brisk walking, swimming, lifting weights, and bicycling - all achieve good results.
The evidence for exercise along with breathing exercises is even stronger when it comes to reducing the symptoms associated with anxiety. Deep breathing exercises have been used for years as a way of relaxing the body. It is the ‘go to’ practice for stress reduction. There are a number of deep breathing exercises all designed with the intent of increasing oxygen intake.
We need to say something about oxygen first. The benefits of this vital element are often underestimated, misunderstood and neglected when physiological or psychological distress occurs. Oxygen deficiency and C02 buildup contribute to confused thinking, fatigue, muscle tension, headaches, weight gain, panic attacks, compromised immune response and sleep disturbance. Up to 30 % of available energy is consumed by the central nervous system and oxygen is the key ingredient for optimal brain function. Hence why so many symptoms of anxiety and depression relate back to inadequate oxygenation of the central nervous system at the cellular level.
Awareness of breathing patterns and knowing a few basic breathing techniques will enable you to initiate timely interventions stemming the tide of CO2 buildup and overactivation of the stress response hormones.
1. The 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise for better Sleep
Dr. Andrew Weil, a Harvard trained medical doctor with a focus on holistic health, believes getting the best sleep ever is as simple as breathing in and breathing out. The 21st century’s digital revolution has made it increasingly difficult to get a sufficient amount of sleep, especially with the constant need to be connected 24/7. However, Weil, a huge advocate of holistic breathing practices to combat stress, anxiety, and insomnia, believes this can all be remedied with a simple breathing exercise. On his website, he writes: “Breathing strongly influences physiology and thought processes, including moods. By simply focusing your attention on your breathing and without doing anything to change it, you can move in the direction of relaxation.”
This same philosophy is used in his well-known “The 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise,” also called “The Relaxing Breath,” which promotes better sleep. This is based on pranayama, an ancient Indian practice that means “regulation of breath.” The exercise is described by Weil as “a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system” that eases the body into a state of calmness and relaxation.
Kevin Meehan, a holistic practitioner and founder of Meehan Formulations in Jackson, Wyo., believes this breathing technique could be effective because it encourages the fast removal of carbon dioxide. Appropriate respiration is effective in removing carbon dioxide from our systems. “Doing so equates into a better preservation of the bicarbonate pool; our reservoirs for helping maintain an appropriate pH balance,” Meehan told Medical Daily in an email.
How To Do The “4-7-8” Exercise
Weil’s technique is shockingly simple, takes hardly any time, and can be done anywhere in five steps. Although you can do the exercise in any position, it’s recommended to sit with your back straight while learning the exercise. Weil explains to “place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth and keep it there through the entire exercise. You will be exhaling through your mouth around your tongue; try pursing your lips slightly if this seems awkward.” This is followed by the five-step procedure listed below:
· Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
· Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
· Hold your breath for a count of seven.
· Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
· This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.
Weil emphasizes the most important part of this process is holding your breath for eight seconds. This is because keeping the breath in will allow oxygen to fill your lungs and then circulate throughout the body. It is this that produces a relaxing effect in the body. Some believe the breathing exercise works because it works in the same way as meditation: It helps people quiet the mind and let go of preoccupying thoughts.
The truth behind Weil’s 4-7-8 exercise is it takes practicing this twice a day over two months to perfect the technique until you can truly fall asleep in a minute. Once you’ve mastered it, it will become more and more effective and even help you deal with anxiety and stress in your life. Soon, going to bed will be as simple as taking a deep breath.
2. Breathing with Progressive Relaxation by Gary Taylor
What I would like you to do is to do the relaxation exercises, exactly as outlined, for the next seven to ten days. Make a chart or use cue cards so that you can follow them easily. Do them at least three times a day, morning (10 minutes - just before or just after you get out of bed), noon (15 minutes - spend a little longer in that special place), and night (10 minutes - just before or just after you go to bed. I suggest that you follow the example of the monk who would hold a heavy metal key while he rested. If he fell asleep, the key would drop on the floor and wake him up. Perhaps you could hold a pot or metal pan! Also, if you are travelling, you can always do the special place part on a train, bus, or a bench in a park. Try to get right into the steps as outlined. It should help to make your day and nights calmer. Once this happens you will find that you can focus better and not let your emotions steer the ship. While we are not normally conscious of stress, it is always there and creates an underlining tension which results in things like poor sleep, illness, and irritability. Remember, you may have to fight to keep other thoughts and feelings away from your special place. Make your most enjoyable moments be a part of your special place. Not all people like to sit by a river and do nothing.
PROGRESSIVE RELAXATION EXERCISE
Sit down in a chair that supports your head, or lie down on your back in a quiet place where you won't be disturbed. Make sure you're not too warm or too cold. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath, letting the air slowly fill up your lungs so that your chest and stomach both extend. Let the air out slowly and completely. Continue to breathe like this, slowly and deeply. Focus your attention on your (1) feet. As you breathe in, notice any tension in your feet, and as you breathe out, imagine the tension flowing away. Your feet feel warm and relaxed. Now focus on your (2) calves, shins and knees. As you breathe in slowly, notice any tightness in these areas. Let the tension ebb away as you slowly exhale, sinking into relaxation. Move your attention up to your (3) thighs. Breathe in and become aware of any tension in the large muscles of your upper legs. Exhale and let the tension flow away. Now notice any tightness in your (4) buttocks or pelvic area as you inhale. On the exhale, let this tightness loosen and dissolve. Notice as you inhale whether you are carrying any tension in your (5) stomach muscles or your lower back. As you breathe out slowly, let any tension relax. Breathe in slowly and notice any tightness in your (6) chest or upper back. Exhale slowly and completely as the chest and back tension eases and flows away. Now move your attention out to your (7) hands. Breathe in and feel any tension in your fingers, palms, or wrists. Let this tension flow away as you exhale slowly. Next move up to your (8) forearms and focus on any tightness here as you inhale, then exhale and let the tightness dissolve. Inhale slowly and become aware of the tension in your (9) shoulders. This is where we typically bottle up most of our stress and tension, in our shoulder and chest area. Breathe in and really focus on the tension. Breathe out and let the breath carry the tension away, out of your shoulders. Shrug your shoulders and take another breath if you need to, to get the tension out of the area, which is often very tight. By now your shoulders should feel as if they are just sagging or drooping and just hanging downward. Move up to your (10) neck and feel all the tension there as you inhale. Exhale and let the tension flow out of your neck. If your neck still feels tight, roll your (11) head around and take another full, deep breath to get your neck really loose. Let your (12) jaw hang open as you inhale and notice how you may be clenching your jaw. Move it around and let it relax as you exhale slowly and completely. Keep your jaw slightly open to make sure it stays relaxed. Now focus on the muscles of (13) your face as you breathe in: your tongue, mouth, cheeks, and forehead, and around your eyes. Let go of any squinting or frowning feelings as you exhale. The last component is relaxing the (14) mind. You can do this by doing some visualization. As our breathing becomes calmer and our body muscles relax, we need to allow our mind to relax. Imagine the most peaceful place that you can in your mind. It might be at a beach, or near a stream, or another beautiful quiet, peaceful location. I often like to think of a very quiet place in the mountains; the air is fresh, the sun is shining bright. I am walking through an area with a lot of beautiful flowers and shrubs. I notice the beautiful colors; I smell the fragrance of the flowers and bushes. As I wander along, I come upon a grove of pine trees. I walk through the grove; I smell the flagrance of the pines. I leave the grove and come upon a meadow. The meadow is covered with beautiful tall green grass. Over on one side there is a small lake. I walk towards the lake. The water is a beautiful turquoise, it is very calm, without a ripple. I decide to lie down in the grass. I find myself snuggled in the grass feeling warm and comfortable. I look up into the sky. It seems as if I can see forever. The sky is a beautiful blue. Way up high, I see a bird just floating and drifting. I imagine I am riding on its back, just floating and drifting. About that time, I see a white fluffy cloud drifting overhead. I now am imagining that I am on top of the cloud, just drifting over the hills and valleys. You can continue with these thoughts and dreams. I eventually visualize myself getting up and begin to return along the path, through the grove of pine trees and eventually returning to the spot where I began. Notice how you are feeling, you should feel totally relaxed and calm. Try to hold on to this feeling as long as you can. One should practice this exercise two or three times a day. Eventually you will train yourself to relax. You will know how it feels to be more calm and tranquil. It is a great feeling and one that is easy to obtain once you have trained yourself. Once you have become proficient at letting go, you can quickly allow yourself to approximate the calm feeling without going through all the steps that have been outlined above. Good Luck. It is worth the effort.
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