When you think about weight loss, you usually don’t give much thought to how relaxation can help you lose weight. However, there is a science to this approach. You see, stress is a serious factor that encourages your body to gain weight.
Cortisol is a hormone that is released when the fight-or-flight response is activated. This means that when you are stressed, you develop belly fat. Stress can cause you to gain weight in a myriad of ways, another of which is comfort eating. Comfort eating is a bad habit but one to which stress often contributes. Stress will especially bring on cravings for sugar and starches. These foods are carbohydrates that are not so good for you and will make the pounds cling on.
The good news, though, is that you have a choice either to experience these adverse effects or to relax. Yes, we know it isn’t that easy, but you need to try for optimal results. Here we will share a few ideas on how you can do that and bust those annoying, stress-induced pounds.
Relaxation can help you lose weight if you encourage yourself to experience enjoyable activities more often. Having fun can help you to relax naturally and keep the weight off. After all, it’s far easier to be able to stick to a plan that restricts certain behaviors when you’re already having a good time. When you’re enjoying yourself, you can feel more motivated to take on challenges and keep up with your promises to yourself.
If you’re constantly feeling as though you’re doing things you don’t like, it’s difficult to try to keep up your motivation to do it day in and day out. Focus on keeping the fun in your life so that the less fun components easier to take on. In this way fun and relaxation can help you lose weight effectively.
No, you don’t have to be a guru or a monk to meditate. You can simply find a meditation app, video or audio track for free on YouTube and lie there enjoying it. There are many different kinds to choose from, including creative visualization options as well as options made specifically for relaxation. Some meditation videos and recordings also offer fun and enlightening guided meditations.
Don’t fall for myths about meditating, such as those claiming it’s a clearing of your mind. That’s not what meditation is about. Use this technique for relaxation to control stress and help you to lose weight more comfortably. Start with short sessions – even just three minutes – then build the length of time as you build your skills.
Yoga is another discipline that will not only teach you how to relax but will tone and firm you as well as burn between 250 and 600 calories an hour–especially if it is Ashtanga, or hot yoga. That said, if you’re new to yoga, it’s a good idea to start slowly and build up your skills. It is advisable to start small and learn Hatha yoga first as a bit of a warm-up and skill builder.
Even if you’re not blasting through calories it can help you to relax so you can lose weight from the stress control. Moreover, yoga helps to tone muscles and improve balance. This is great for getting more out of your more fat-burning workouts such as cardio. After all, if you’re stronger and better balanced, you’re far less likely to suffer injury from your workout. This will mean you’ll be able to keep up your exercises and require less downtime for healing.
Sometimes it’s not what you’re doing in your everyday life that helps you with relaxation and weight loss. Instead, it’s also important for you to be able to step away from your usual routines – even the ones you love – and look at the world from another perspective. Head out of town or even stay at home but just go on some day trips and local adventures.
The key is to get out of the house and experience some things that are out of the ordinary for you. You need to try new things – or participate in activities you love but try only very rarely – and be present while you do. This will refresh you and recharge your batteries, including your motivation and relaxation, so your weight loss efforts will feel more achievable.
What exactly you do is up to you, of course, and you will certainly have an enjoyable, healthy time doing it. Though these are just a few suggestions, you can get creative and do what makes you relax. Maybe sitting on the beach, going for a swim, or taking a nature walk would do. Any of these options could allow you to experience how relaxation can help you lose weight.