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6 Stress-Busting Activities That Every Busy Person Needs To Know About
Life is all about balance. And when you're juggling work, family, and exercise, that balance can be hard to come by. So mindbodygreen teamed up with Fabletics to help you stay equipped with the gear you need in order to make that juggle a little less stressful. Here, fitness instructor and foam rolling expert Lauren Roxburgh explains how she busts stress on a daily basis.
Like most of us, I’m a juggler. And trust me, it’s tough trying to balance being a mom, wife, friend, and entrepreneur while running a busy private practice, as well as fitting in time for self-care, staying active and de-stressing. It never feels like there are enough hours in the day.
My number one rule to avoid stress is not to get too hung up on a specific routine on a specific day, because chances are, something will come up and my plans will change. I like to mix my routine up and keep it fresh, so I have a range of go-to activities that I try to fit in on a weekly basis. I live by the philosophy that even doing ten minutes of something that you love is so much better than doing nothing at all.
Here are my six favorite stress-busting activities:
1. Foam rolling
Foam rolling is one of my favorites. I’ve been doing it for 15 years now and have grown to love it so much that I even wrote a book about it and created a video class about how to use the roller. The roller is such an underrated tool, and I’ve developed a whole range of exercises that do so much more than just massaging sore muscles, which is what most people think the roller is for.
By targeting the fascia, rolling helps me hydrate my body with fresh, oxygenated blood and nutrients, helping me become more flexible and youthful. My daily rolling helps me stay in alignment, improves body awareness, helps me breathe deeper and better, releases accumulated stress, helps me stand taller, and flushes toxins and congestion from my body. I’ll usually do at least 10-15 minutes every day—I find that it’s the perfect way to unwind after a long day.
It’s also perfect to do before another workout. Most people think you should roll after a workout, but it’s actually the perfect way to prepare for something else by getting your circulation going and your body warmed up. Here are my go-to moves to warm up the body for working out, and a post-sweat session cool down.
2. Rebounding
Rebounding is my new go-to, and I love it. I’ve never been much of a runner, as I find it hard on the joints. But this is a great, low-impact cardio workout—it’s so efficient that a few months of rebounding helped me lose all the baby weight I gained while I was pregnant. In fact, NASA research has shown that the rebounder is 68% more effective for fat burning than running, while also building bone density and helping to stimulate the lymphatic system, which helps you to literally bounce away those toxins and fears.
Plus, it’s fun—I’ll often do it with our three-year-old daughter, and she loves it too. In the morning, I’ll often throw on my latest Fabletics outfit and put in 10 minutes of rolling and 10 minutes of rebounding. It’s a great workout and an effective way to bounce off negative energy and stress on a busy day.
3. Grabbing a juice
When we’re under a lot of stress, we tend to not eat as well. So grabbing a green juice is the perfect way to revive myself, clear my head and feed my soul. I try to stay away from the juices with too much fruit or sugar and stick with the greens. If I ever feel like I’m getting sick, I pick up a juice and head to an infrared sauna to sweat it out and boost my immune system.
The infrared sauna has been proven to help the body detox, relax, and even has been shown to boost endorphin levels, which is a huge stress buster!
Since stress is connected to nutrient deficiencies, drinking juices with magnesium, B vitamins, and vitamin C helps nourish the body and mind with the proper minerals and vitamins that help calm the nervous system, de-stress, and unwind more efficiently. My favorite juice is a combination of green apple, spinach, cucumber, lemon, and celery!
4. Beach walks
Being in nature is incredibly grounding for me, and I’m lucky enough to be based in Southern California—so it would be crazy to not take advantage of the amazing beaches we have on our doorstep. I find a long beach walk helps me clear my head, release stress, and connect to my creativity and myself. If I want to combine it with being social, it is a great way to catch up with a girlfriend.
5. Meditation
I believe the mind-body connection is so much deeper than most people realize; if you truly want a healthy body, you also need a healthy and relaxed mind. And meditation is the absolute best way to do that. In fact, meditation has been proven to reduce stress, anxiety and depression, and helps you achieve a state of inner peace.
I try to fit in at least 10-20 minutes in the morning and evening every single day. I call it “emptying the mental trash folder.” Plus, 20 minutes of meditation is great for improving sleep quality and we all need more deep sleep.
6. Laughing
There’s no shortage of problems in the world, but we all tend to take ourselves a bit too seriously. Laughing every day is essential. A good laugh triggers endorphins—a miraculous chemical that not only makes you feel good, but can even help relieve pain. A good chuckle also decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and disease-fighting antibodies. Amazing, right? Plus, it’s got to be the best ab workout there is.