Stress is an occurrence in life we usually try to avoid but in reality, without a degree of pressure in our lives, we quickly become forgetful of what life is for. Stress at work or with your family getting you down? Try this Kettlebell session out and I’ll add a couple more tips to help you see things clearly and destress.

Thanks for taking the time to read another post from criterionfit.com! We help busy men, big men and small men with fitness goals and lifestyle changes to make. My name is Hanif and I started training in this field in 2017. I’ve had stressful periods in my life just as you have, but the way I try to deal with the pressure has changed much over time.

Here I’d like to offer you a simple workout that you can do which will take you under 30 minutes to complete. 3 kettlebell circuits, 1 round (2 rounds of each if you have more time). You’ll work Lower/ Upper / Cardiovascular / Core and the hope is that by the end of the session you’ll feel relaxed and ready to tackle any issues you have with clarity and focus. Less talk, more work let’s go!

Circuit number	Exercise	Reps	Duration	Other info
1	Deadlift	10	–	Slow eccentric lowering, fast contraction.
	Single KB Press	10 both arms	–	Progress to bilateral press
	Burpee	–	2 minute	–
	Planks	–	1 minute	–
2	KB swing	–	2 minutes
	Standing Tricep Extension	10 both arms	–	no more than 8kg Kettlebell behind the head to start.
	High Knees	–	2 minutes	–
	Crunches	–	1 minute	–
3	KB Goblet Squats	10	–	–
	Press Up	–	2 minutes	Rest on knees to make it easier.
	Mountain Climbers	–	2 minutes	–
	Heel Taps	–	2 minutes	–

I hope you’ve enjoyed this session and if you beat the 30-minute clock nice work. The goal was to take the stress away for some time, focus on other things which help one regroup. As you’ll know there are many things one can do to destress but some may take more brainwork than others.

The first thing to remember is that Allah (subhanu wa ta’ala) is all aware and knowing of the stress you are going through so calling upon your lord for relief is a must. Prayer and supplication to Allah (ta’ala), lowering your gaze, avoiding haram, seeking knowledge, making wudu and seeking the counsel of those with true Islamic knowledge should all be in your mind.

The food you eat can reduce stress and give you a better feeling about yourself and your current situation. Foods such as fatty fish, dark chocolate, yoghurt and vegetables are all foods that will give you an uplifted feeling the more consistently you make them a part of your life. Drinking more water and less caffeine-filled drinks will help you to relax and promotes better blood flow around your body, calming your nerves so you can focus on your stressors.

Fasting and exercise are two keys from the keys of keeping cool. Fasting focuses you on the remembrance of Allah (ta’ala) and recognition of the favours we have to the point we can choose not to eat and drink food. Exercise as you’ve just seen from this session is a good way of bringing on endorphins and dopamine chemicals that increase our happy moods. When you’re relaxed you see things differently so if you’re feeling stuck in a stressful situation try as many of the above modes of calm as possible. Take the time to reflect and approach the situations from a position of tranquillity.