Stressed in the City?  We’ve all been there.  Anderson Peak Performance wants to help you can reduce stress in every area of your life.  Have you thought about what triggers your stress?  Have you found a way to improve upon it?  Please read on.

The easiest way to start is to take a moment, right now, to breathe deeply – in and out.  You are in the moment and thinking about your breathing will reduce blood pressure and fill your body with fresh oxygen.  Remember to breathe out as deeply as you breathe in to release the C02 from your bloodstream.  This can be done easily when you are in the elevator, on line at Whole Foods, at your desk or when you are getting ready to rise out of bed.  While you are breathing, you can start to build up your positive self-talk.  Start to replace negative thoughts about yourself or your situation with positives.  This is a sure-fire way to reduce stress.

Do you have a friend or colleague who seems calm and content most of the time?  Ask them what they do to release their stress.  Many people practice yoga or meditation to center themselves and relieve the pressure of everyday city life.  This can be done at home, in your office, or in a yoga studio.  Perhaps, they have talk therapy, massage therapy or a wellness routine that includes Chiropractic and exercise.  Sometimes a hobby like healthy cooking, team sports or running is your remedy.

After the 2008 Olympics in Beijing I connected with Olympic Swimmer Dara Torres.  She is a five time Olympian winning an unbelievable four gold medals and three silver ( The silver all won in  Beijing at age 40!).  She attributes her success to her  daily stretching routine and diet.  Check out her stretching routine  (Olympian Dara Torres)  which can be a  way to relieve stress.  This can be easily scheduled into your day.  You can also take  a few seconds to do a quick stretch wherever you are.  While on line, raise your toes into the air while keeping your heel on the ground to do a hamstring stretch.  At your desk do a gentle neck stretch to the side, up and down.  Repeat 5 times (Diagrams will be added in future blogs).

Some people, like myself, like to run away the stress.  Training for races makes me feel free and alive.  I step away from the stress of the day and run through one of our New York City parks or get on the treadmill.  I concentrate on my breathing and my gait and have little time to stress.  Running with music can also be a good stress reliever, yet make sure you are aware of your surroundings!  Safety first!  When I run with my Warren Street Runner’s Club I get support from my friends and I am able to leave it all behind. Have you ever taken an hour (or 15 minutes) to sit on a park bench in the middle of the day?  People watch, eat lunch or enjoy the time in the sun (with sunblock) can be the break you need.  Doing a simple meditation and breathing exercise can enhance this experience.  My favorite breathing exercise which you can do ANYWHERE goes as follows:  Sit straight in a chair or bench with your hands on your legs palm up.  Your feet should be placed firmly on the floor and good posture is essential.  Now, looking in front of you, pick a point with your eyes slightly above your field of vision and now close your eyes.  Inhale deeply with good air and exhale the bad air.  Do this ten times using big breaths nice and sloooow.  Now  open your eyes.  I can guarantee you that you have now changed your state. If you have 30 seconds (and we all do) this will work for you!

All types of  long-term stress being mental, emotional, environmental, chemical, work -related and relationship stress will play a negative role on the physical form.  This can impact your nervous system adversely, causing all types of symptoms such as lack of sleep, digestive complaints, muscle pain, multiple joint aches, headaches, increased heart rate, blood pressure and shortness of breath.  These symptoms are all controlled by your nervous system.  Long term stress can cause a dysfunction in the nervous system and  manifest into a disease state in the body.  To maintain overall mind, body and spirit well-being I recommend a Chiropractic Adjustment.  It kick starts your body’s nervous system by relieving the pressure on the nerves in your spine.  It improves your alignment and decreases the stress on the muscles and joints.  It’s one of my top 5 favorite things in life, because it helps to give me a stress free life and overall well-being.  Let’s see what we can do for your stress!  Check out our Community Summer Special in conjunction with Aveda stores and bring in your bottle caps for a Chiropractic evaluation.

Dr. A