Health: Reducing Stress and Exercising with a Stress Ball

By Colt Ross

Stress is not unusual and can be caused by numerous factors ranging from family issues to work. An important step towards reducing stress is to find out what triggers it and make an effort to handle the causes of the situation. While you may not be able to completely get rid of stress, there are steps you can take to calm down and ease your mind.

Lifestyle Changes

· One of the recommended ways to deal with stress is through positive lifestyle changes. Exercising on a regular basis has proven to be an effective way to reduce stress while keeping you healthy. Walking, swimming, riding bike and going to the gym are examples of physical activities that can stress management.

· Getting an adequate amount of sleep gives your body the chance to rest. Sleep is an important factor that enables your body to recuperate and become energized.

· A healthy body is a happy body and it needs fuel for energy. Drink enough water, consume healthy food and avoid missing meals.

· Find ways to relax your body such as positive thoughts, listening to your favorite type of music, taking a bath, going for a massage and expressing your thoughts in a journal.

Set Boundaries

The inability to know when to say no or identify when you have reached your limits is a major contributor of stress. If you are doing more than you can handle, ask for help. Avoid pushing yourself beyond your capabilities and do not hesitate to get help when you need it.

Social Life and Relaxation

A healthy social life can help you manage your stress levels. Spare some time that you can spend with family and friends. Hang around positive people that you are comfortable with and will help you relax. Practice various relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, muscle relaxation and yoga.

Exercise- Stress Balls

Exercising the muscles in your wrists and hands is an important aspect of strengthening your muscles after an accident or when managing a chronic health condition such as arthritis. Solutions such as a physiotherapy squeeze ball can help you rehabilitate muscles in your hand, wrist and fingers. Different balls provide varying levels of resistance to gradually strengthen the muscles.

Flexibility

Typing constantly on a computer, playing certain instruments and using the keyboard on your phone are some of the activities that can lead to injuries that afflict your wrists and hands. Such injuries are common and squeezing stress balls can improve the flexibility of the hands, which helps to prevent injuries in the future.

Strength

When the wrist and hands become weak because of certain conditions, including overusing the hand or a sprain, the process of squeezing a ball can effectively provide soothing relief. Place the ball in your hands and squeeze tightly. Keep the stress ball in a firm grip for a few seconds before releasing. Repeat this process for a number of times to strengthen your hand muscles.

Squeezing the stress ball exercises the muscles and makes them more flexible over time. Squeezing stress balls in your hand and manipulating them regularly with your fingers effectively exercises the hand’s muscles and makes them stronger.

Author Bio: Colt Ross is a freelance writer who contributes different articles to a variety of online sites. He enjoys research, entertaining friends and watching classic Hollywood films. He describes himself as thrill seeker who is always ready for the next adventure. Find out more about physiotherapy squeeze ball here.