Fitness1 Hook your fingers and interlace them with both hands and pull. You will feel your upper back, shoulders and neck muscles contract.
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ROSHAN ABRAHAMS, personal trainer, shares tips on how to release negative emotions through conscious exercise while saying positive affirmations.
These exercises can be done in Ramadaan as well as after. The Ramadaan focus is on holistically improving oneself mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally.
The third week of Ramadaan, includes the 10 days of “forgiveness” until the 20th day where Muslims are given the opportunity to engage in asking the Almighty to forgive their sins. The body and mind become used to the new routine.
The body feels comfortable doing mild exercises especially when you are an athlete. Non athletes’ bodies have also adjusted to the new routine. However, if you haven’t done any mild exercises daily your joints will become stiff and it will be difficult to get back into a steady exercise routine after Ramadaan.
Tilt your head to the side and hold.
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Rhushana Kamaldien, emotional release coach, mindset coach, and wellness practitioner, shares her knowledge in the third part of this fitness series.
Rhushana says the body holds emotions in specific areas, each linked to different psychological and emotional states.
Last week we focused on releasing tension stored in your gut and stomach where mostly fear and anxiety are stored ("Leg raises help release fear and anxiety", Southern Mail, March 12).
This can lead to digestive issues, bloating, and a general feeling of unease. To release the bloating feeling, you can perform leg raisers with affirmations that release negative emotions.
This week we focus on the neck and shoulders.
Rhushana said the neck and shoulders carry the weight of responsibility and stress. If you feel constantly burdened or overwhelmed, you may notice tightness or stiffness here.
As a reporter, work can become intense and stressful and before I became a personal trainer I remember using exercise as my outlet to release stress. I found that after a “mindless” workout my neck and shoulders would get stiff and sore.
I tried conscious exercise by doing a workout or a run mindfully that involves paying attention to my body's movements, sensations, and breath, fostering a deeper connection with one’s physical self and potentially improving both physical and mental well-being.
Lift up your chin and look up to the ceiling.
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If we add the positive affirmations it can ultimately improve your workout experience and promote long-term healthy habits.
If you do a conscious neck and shoulder exercise it can do wonders for your recovery after a workout.
Shoulder exercises with affirmations:
Take your fingers, make hooks with them and interlock them
Pull your arms away from each other as much as you can
Muscles in the upper back, shoulder and neck will be activated
Take your head forward and do wide circles around your neck
As you move say out loud of in your mind
“I release the burdens that overwhelm me.”
It helps open up your neck. Then do it on the opposite direction
Neck exercise
Go back into pulling your interlocking fingers
Tilt your neck towards your one shoulder as far as you can and hold
Hold the position and then lift your chin upwards towards the ceiling
As you hold (30 seconds) say, “I release the burdens that overwhelm me.”
Repeat on the other side
Next week we will focus on the chest press exercise to relieve the chest and heart area. Grief, sadness and unresolved emotions related to love and loss often manifest here.