It’s that time of year again””taxes are due, final exams are approaching, outdoor activities and sports practices resume. As lovely a season as spring is, it often comes with stress. All those fresh beginnings also create new items on your “To Do” list. For me, they include getting my homeschooled daughter’s school year wrapped up, spring cleaning our home and training for the upcoming Masters Nationals figure competition in July.
When times get stressful, and we try to do everything and make everyone happy, we usually put ourselves last. And it’s a huge mistake. A little stress relief can go a long way, making the day-to-day tasks easier to handle and keeping you calm in the midst of all those big-springtime-project storms.
I’ve found that one of the best ways to beat stress is to hit the gym. I actually schedule it into my day, so it’s not something that I’m shooting for but then abandon when other tasks co
me up. While I’m there, I put in my earplugs and forget about everything else, focusing only on my workout.
Exercise is a great stress reliever. It decreases stress hormones, releases endorphins (the “feel good” hormones) and relaxes muscles. If you don’t have time to lift weights, just do some cardio. Set the treadmill at an incline, listen to music and get a good stretch while walking.
Vitacost also has some great products to help with stress after the gym. Try soaking in a warm bath with Masada Mineral Herb Spa. It’s made with natural Dead Sea minerals, salts and herbs, such as valerian and kava kava, which help calm nerves and ease tight muscles. Then treat yourself to a cup of Yogi Kava Stress-Relief Tea.
When I can, I like to add a manicure, massage or a coffee date with a friend to the stress-relief mix. Trust me, if you get in your workout and pay a little extra attention to yourself with these simple stress relievers, you’ll have the energy and peace of mind to get you through to summer!
Southern States Championships top contender Melissa Transou, a figure competitor, wife and mother, blogs about the unique sports nutrition needs of female athletes exclusively for Vitacost.com.