Stretching for Weight Loss

A secret when you're faced with stress and the cravings it produces: vertical stretches

Stress effects weight in two ways: by triggering cortisol secretion which causes water retention and increases visceral fat and also by encouraging us to eat fatty, sugary comfort foods to reduce the unpleasantness of stress.

When you start to feel stress, I can suggest a technique to neutralize the negative effects before they develop. This technique which involves a stretching-breathing combination combines two simple actions which reinforce each other. Stretching: this involves the trapezius muscles, the two muscles which are the most prone to stress and whose tension echoes in your mind. The trapezius muscles are the two muscles that connect the neck to the shoulders and extend down to the lower back. To stretch them, all you have to do is to push the top of your head up towards the ceiling while at the same time dropping your shoulders down as far as you can. Extending the trapezius muscles relaxes them and their relaxation in turn relaxes your mind. Breathing: at the same time breathe in slowly until your lungs are completely full and then stop breathing in for a maximum of three seconds. Then breathe out slowly until your lungs are emptied. With five breathes in and out, you will have completely replenished the air in your lungs, released your intercostal muscles and your diaphragm and completely relaxed your trapezius muscles. This takes 75 seconds, hardly more than a minute-- but you are now safe from stress and its after-effects!