Exercises to ease stress and help restore balance

Stressed. Anxious. Tired. Sound like you? You’re not alone. We chat to two wellness experts whose exercise regimes help to destress our bodies and minds and restore balance.

YOGA
Most people think of backbreaking bends or impossible twists when they think of yoga, but, instructor Abedah Musengi says, you don’t have to go in for highly advanced moves to reap all the benefits of this centuries-old practice.

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In fact, for Abedah, the greatest gift of yoga isn’t based in the physical at all. Rather, it’s the way this discipline teaches you to focus on the present, which leads to positive changes in the way you perceive the world around you. This can be used to your advantage whenever you’re coping with a challenge, whether in the workplace or personal. And, says Abedah, it’s a lesson that’s easily accessible, and open to you at any moment. ‘Yoga teaches you to become more resilient’. ‘It helps you observe, describe and then participate. Once you observe what you’re feeling in any situation and can describe it, you’re better equipped to participate in the solution,’ she says.

That said, yoga also has great physical benefits that complement the mental ones. Every time you take a deep yogic breath or try a stretch, you change your body’s chemistry, reducing the levels of the stress hormone cortisol and lowering your heart rate.

That’s why Abedah believes yoga is good for everyone. ‘Even if you aren’t able to dedicate a full hour to it,’ she says, ‘you can gain benefits from doing, say 10 minutes a day. Those small, consistent efforts all add up – and that’s what helps you build your resilient yoga mindset.’

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ZUMBA
There’s a reason that dancing is so popular. It’s one of the quickest ways to put a smile on your face. Music lifts your mood, and the exercise is great for your body and mind. Zumba instructor Elroy Strober says, ‘It’s simple to follow, it makes me feel good and it’s a pretty good workout.’ Elroy had been working as a fitness trainer for some time when the club where he was employed introduced Zumba as a dance-based fitness class.

He says it is different to other forms of dance because, even though the rhythm is Latin-based, you don’t need to have moves like Jagger to be able to follow it. Instructors use a mimic technique, which means you simply have to follow what they’re doing – and add your own spin if you like. There’s no complicated choreography, so you don’t have to think about what you’re doing.

You don’t even need to be really fit, although Zumba does burn calories. Whether you do a 30-or 90-minute session, you’ll feel relaxed and destressed afterwards. It’s a great form of exercise for those who can’t do intense workouts (recovering from injury or surgery) and for those who are simply looking for a workout that isn’t gruelling punishment.

That’s why Elroy calls Zumba ‘exercise in disguise’. ‘It’s the mood, the music, everything,’ he says. ‘It puts you in touch with your body and lets you enjoy the simple joy of movement – and it leaves you feeling great.’