by Lizzie Elzingre

Created on: January 13, 2009   Last Updated: June 29, 2009

Walk your way to stress relief according to experts is great for general health and well-being. Daily physical exercises like walking are essential in helping the body deal and cope with pent-up energy and tension. Exercise can be an extremely effective reliever for frustrating situations build up and anger.

Common causes of stress are pressures, worries and anxieties of modern life related to work, community, or family. Being unable to cope with the day-to-day stress can easily lead to stress-related illnesses.

During a fight in which I could not seem to get across why I was so angry, my thoughts were darting around in frenzy. The drums they gyrated to were with faultfinding chants. I could not sleep. As the night progress, I became more resentful. I lay in bed exhausted, endlessly recounting my woes.

Stress causes our hear-beat and respiration rate to increase, blood vessels constrict, muscles tense, and our thoughts become negative and distorted. Under that condition, take what Mother Nature has prepared for humans-WALK.

Walking can take your mind off emotions and redirect them to a calm state especially if there is a change of scenery. Walking also allows you to think.

When under stress, do not remain idle. Get out of the stressful environment. A time away from the stressful situation is a chance to free the mind of irrational thoughts, and, eventually, reinforce affirmations.

Likewise, walking releases endorphins hormones, which make you calm and happy. The movement relieves tense muscle and even enables the body to clear stress related compounds. With correct walking posture and form, you unknot tense muscles and put them to work.

Walk in comfortable pace, fast but not exhausting. Mind your steps. Make the effort to feel your heel land lightly slowly shifting your weight to the ball of your foot before putting down your other foot. The more comfortable you are with your walk, the calmer you will become.

Walking is best in the morning or late in the afternoon, if possible, along a scenic route. Lovely things, like flowers, are cathartic, creative, and stress relieving.

Focus on your objective. Remember, you are walking to relieve stress, not practicing for a marathon, so take time-take long, deep breathes with every step.

Allow yourself to see the flame of your resentment or anger. Watch as your thoughts circle dangerously around it. Then very slowly begin to deprive it of oxygen by putting something over it to snuff it out. As the flame quietly ceases to burn, gently gather up the moths and release them in a beautiful meadow filled with sweet-smelling flowers.

When you find your thoughts obsessively drawn to stress, pains, and anxiety, go walk to redirect them to calm. Under stress, it is common to keep thinking over the situation repeatedly even after it is over. This leads to increased stress. Make walking a part of your daily life. It will help you live healthier, even happier. Comforting statements like "I can do all things through He who strengthens me" allow you to relax and enjoy a walk your way to stress relief.

Lastly, accept stress as a normal part of our life. Since we cannot eliminate stress, we must learn to accept the reality that stress is here to stay. This will eliminate the useless anger and the frustration of our failure to find and live a stress-free life.

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