Im a health coach here are 5 ways you can reduce stress in your life

These tricks work in a pinch.If you’ve ever sat at your desk and suddenly realized that your shoulders are hunched up by your ears — you’re not alone. Stress and tension can manifest in ways that are way more physical than you might think, NY-Presbyterian Health Matters reports. “Many people don’t realize how damaging stress can be,” said Maria Corvese, a well-being coach at NY-Presbyterian Queens.“Stress can impact many aspects of well-being, including your sleep, digestion, and overall outlook on life.”Corvese is sharing five simple steps to reducing stress — exercise, stretch, breathe, practice mindfulness, and eat a well-balanced diet.Movement doesn’t have to mean huffing on a treadmill for an hour or slogging away at a grueling boot camp class.In fact, to reap the health benefits of exercise, all you have to do is log 150 minutes a week, according to the American Heart Association.NY-Presbyterian recommends taking a 30-minute walk at lunchtime, turning meetings into walking meetings, or doing squats at your desk.Or, get off the subway a few stops early and walk to work — aim for the stairs instead of the escalator.You don’t have to hit the gym to get in a little bit of movement.

Gentle stretching can be done just about anywhere, and studies confirm that even a little movement can have plenty of benefits. “I enjoy calming poses such as child’s pose, downward dog, or even just lifting both arms up and stretching gently to each side,” Corvese said.“It is amazing how even just a few moments in each stretch can really help reduce stress.”Pair your stretching with deep breathing for optimal gains.

Experts also say that ideally, you should hold each static stretch for 60 seconds — and it’s OK if you can’t do that all at once.In other words, try 20 seconds, take a pause, and then repeat two more times to get to 60. If you’ve ever been in the middle of a heated moment and forced yourself to take a few deep breaths, you al...