Having looked at exercise (yoga) and breathing I now want to move on to look at nurtition. Studies of animals suggest that the amino acids L-lysine and L-arginine may influence neurotransmitters involved in stress and anxiety.  In humans supplementing with the two together appears to reduce both state anxiety (temporary anxious feelings that arise when comfronted by a specific situation) and trait anxiety (a general tendancy to be anxious) in healthy men and women subjected to stressful situations. Taking L-lysine alone has also been shown to reduce chronic anxiety in people with low dietary intake of the amino acid. References https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14676321 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14609314 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17510493

My top exericse, is very underrated, it is walking, I love it. Here is why. 1. Walking is good for everyone.  Doctors agree  including the elderly, morbidy obese, arhritic and pregnant women.  Walking is gentle enough for most people who have these conditions and the activity can help ease the pain of chronic illness. 2. Walking is free  and easy - no expensive gym fees and no equipment needed! 3. Walking is linked to lower rates of obesity.  People who walk to work are less likely to be obese, 30 minutes walking a day burns 150 calories..  A 2015 study found that even walking just 20 minutes a day can reduce your risk of premature death by 30%. 4. Walking prevents diabetes as it helps regulates blood sugar levels, which in turn keeps insulin levels low at diabetes at day.  A 15 minute walk after a meal is all that is need to help regulate blood sugar levels. 5. Walking is good for year heart. A 2013 study found that walkers who cover the same mileage as runners enjoy comparable reductions in high blood pressure, high cholesterol and coronary heart disease. While it took twice as long for walkers to cover the distance, walking may be a more sustainable and accessible activity than running for most people, especially those who are new to exercise. 6. Walking helps you get a good nights sleep.  Travel experts adivse when you arrive at a new city on the day you arrive to walk around.  The reason is that you expose your body to sunlight and saying outside until it grows dark helps you to recalibarte the hormone melatonin to your new time zone.  As melatonin rises so does feelings of sleepiness. 7. Walking improves your mood protecting you from both anxiety and depression.   Moving your body is a well-known way to release endorphins, a set of feel-good chemicals that dull pain receptors in the brain, sedate you and even give you feelings of happiness and euphoria. That’s why exercise in general, and walking in particular, is recommended to help improve symptoms of mild to moderate depression. A 2005 study found that walking briskly for 35 minutes five times a week, or 60 minutes three times a week, had a significant influence on mild to moderate depression symptoms. References 2015 Study see >> https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/552048/Brisk-20-minute-walk-each-day-could-reduce-risk-early-death 2013 Study see >> http://time.com/3668654/exercise-obesity-walking-premature-death/ Exercise for depression study see >> https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/03/for-depression-prescribing-exercise-before-medication/284587/  and the 2005 study see >> https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/exercise-is-an-all-natural-treatment-to-fight-depression  

Previously I have written my guide to foam rolling parts 1 & 2.  Now I want to explore the uses for another self-massage tool, the spikey ball.  I would recommend you use both a foam roller and a spikey ball the reason is that for some parts of the body it is easier to use a spikey ball, for example: Releasing the feet Stand on one leg use a chair or the wall for balance.  Roll one foot at a time over the ball for a good few minutes.  Include the heel, the outside edge and the instep.  Push down stronger into any area to deepen the intensity.  Do each foot separately. Between the shoulders A common area of tension with modern postural habits is between the shoulder blades.  You can easily reach this area with a ball placed anywhere between the shoulder blades and move up and down against the wall.  One tip to stop the ball dropping it to put it in a long sock or stocking, drap it over your shoulder and then hold it in your hand. Lower back - Under sacrum and glutes You can use the floor of resistance to press your weight into or when lying to let gravity give you a help in hand.  Simply lie on the floor, bend your knees but keep your feet flat on the floor.  Then place the ball underneath your sacrum – the large triangular bone that forms part of your pelvis.  Now move just gently move your sacrum and glutes all over the ball.   If it feels safe to do so your can bring your knees into your chest to add additional pressure.  This will help release off your lower back.