Relaxation response can reduce stress

BOSTON (UPI) -- Exercises that elicit the "relaxation response" can help the body erase the cumulative effects of stress, according to a U.S. report.

"Stress Management: Techniques for Preventing and Easing Stress," a report from Harvard Medical School, explains that stress has been linked with such physical problems as heart attack, stroke, gastrointestinal problems and asthma, as well as emotional problems such as depression, anxiety, and an inability to enjoy life.

The relaxation response -- the opposite of the stress response -- is a state of profound rest and release. A number of physiological changes occur during the relaxation response -- heartbeat and respiration slow down, the body uses less oxygen and produces less carbon dioxide, and blood pressure tends to stabilize in healthy individuals and drop significantly in people with hypertension.

Meditation is only one way to elicit the relaxation response. Other methods include deep breathing exercises, yoga, tai chi and repetitive prayer.

What's crucial is that a person interrupt everyday thoughts by focusing on a word, phrase, prayer, or repetitive muscular activity once or twice a day, for a total of 10 to 20 minutes daily, the report says.