Health and Fitness – Fitness Made Easy

Prescription tranquillizers such as  diazepam ( Valium )  aren’t all bad.  They can help you cope with acute anxiety.  When you take tranquillizers day by day to control chronic anxiety,  they can actually cause the very problem they’re suppose to treat.

That’s because tranquillizers are addictive.  Your brain and body may develop a physical dependence on them within 4 weeks of daily use.  Then, if you try to stop using them,  the inevitable period of physical withdrawal produces  anxiety.  Therefore if you have been taking prescription tranquillizers daily for more than 4 weeks,  you need a program to help you stop taking the drugs,  since the symptoms of sudden withdrawal can be overwhelming.

Tranquillizers have another drawback.  They convince you that you need a medication to control anxiety rather than being able to tap into your own inner resources to deal with the problem through alternative home remedies such as deep breathing and relaxation techniques.

Using tranquillizers interferes with the pursuit of treatment that is truly effective.

Before you start using these methods,  through,  you should know that there’s nothing abnormal about being a high- anxiety person.  High – anxiety people tend to be more intuitive,  great listeners,  and very sympathetic.  They only need to learn how to manage their anxiety better.

RELAXATION:  A Response to Calm You Down

Techniques that create the relaxation response -  a calmer mind and a more relaxed body -  are great for high – anxiety people.  A common and effective one is the focal – point technique.

Sit quietly and comfortably in a place where you won’t be disturbed and repeat a word,  such as  calm or  relax, each time you exhale.  When your mind wanders ( as it inevitably will ),  don’t worry;  just bring it back to your breathing and the word. Do this technique for  10  to  20  minutes every day.

RELAXATION:   Take Your Cue

The only problem with relaxation response techniques is that they don’t help you much when you really need them,  when you’re out and about and feeling anxious.  That’s why cue – controlled relaxation is  recommended,  which is a means of practising your relaxation technique so that you can produce the same results even when you can’t do the technique.  Here’s how it works.

As you’re practising the focal – point technique,  also perform your cue.

It could be simply placing your thumb and index finger together.  Then, when you experience anxiety during the day,  perform the cue.  Over time,  you’ll notice that your body and mind will start to relax on cue.

YOGA:  A Revitalizing Visualization

Yoga is an ancient and comprehensive form of spiritual self- discovery. In the broadest sense by using mental techniques to purify and vitalize the body and mind.

Regardless of which techniques are used,  yoga therapy aims to calm the nervous system,  which,  optimally,  helps to balance the body,  mind and emotions.

Yoga poses provide effective relief of anxiety. They work by relaxing tense muscles and oxygenating your entire body,  which quiets and calms your mood.

The following pose is known as the sponge.  Do it three times a week or even daily if you notice that your anxiety symptoms respond particularly well to it.

First lie on your back with a rolled towel under your knees and your arms at your sides,  palms up.  Close your eyes and relax your whole body.  Inhale slowly,  breathing from your diaphragm.

As you inhale visualize the energy in the air around you being drawn through your entire body.   Imagine that your body is porous and open like a sponge so it can draw in this energy to revitalize every cell.

Exhale slowly and deeply,  allowing every ounce of tension to drain from your body.  Stay in the pose as long as you’re comfortable.

BREATHING:   Short – Circuit Those Panic Attacks

High – anxiety people may start worrying that they’ll lose control,  because they don’t understand the cause of their anxiety symptoms.  When those symptoms occur,  these people can become so flustered,  jittery,  and physically upset that they precipitate a full – fledged panic attack.  Soon, the mere anticipation of a panic attack can trigger one.

Many people who have panic attacks are hyperventilating – taking short,  rapid breaths that produce such classic symptoms as dizziness or faintness;  difficulty swallowing; shaking or muscle spasms; numbness and tingling of the mouth,  hands,  or feet;  heart palpitations;  and a feeling that they can’t get enough air.

In those situations,  it is particularly helpful to do deep,  diaphragmatic breathing.  It is an effective technique for controlling anxiety symptoms.  To overcome panic disorder,  however,  you must also work toward a change in your thought process so you no longer fear the symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks.

Practice each of the following phases for 5 minutes twice a day:

• Phase one:  Lie on your back on a bed or carpeted floor.  Place one or two pillows on your stomach.  Watch the top of the pillows from the corner of your eye.  As you breathe in,  your diaphragm should expand,  raising the pillows.  When you breathe out,  the pillows should move down again.
• Phase two:  Lie on your back without the  pillows and put one hand over your navel.  Look at the ceiling or close your eyes.  Take deep breaths.  With your hand,  feel your stomach moving up and down.
• Phase three:  Repeat phase two,  but keep your attention on your diaphragm and feel it move up and down.  Become one with your breathing.
• Phase four:  Sit on a sofa,  leaning back so that you can watch your stomach area.  Watch your diaphragm move up as you breathe in and down as you breathe out.
• Phase five: Sitting straight,  repeat phase four.  Be sure that your upper chest and shoulders are perfectly still; that’s a sign that you’re doing the exercise correctly.
• Phase six:  While standing, repeat phase five.

Roberto Garcia (Health & Fitness Specialist) 
http://www.newhealthandfitnessdvds.co.uk

Specialist provider of Health and Fitness information and products including Fitness DVDs, Health & Fitness Books and Specialist Health & Fitness Supplements.

Tags: anxiety, dizziness, muscle spasms, panic attacks, Yoga

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010 at 5:49 pm and is filed under Fitness, Medical, Yoga. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.