MUSIC AND SOUND

Sound profoundly influences the nervous system. It can make us excitable or aroused, help us be calm and relaxed, or make us tense or anxious.

Obviously, you want to expose yourself to sound that promotes relaxation if you're working toward reducing stress in your life.

Classical music - especially baroque music written in the key of largo at four-quarter time - is excellent for promoting a calm mental state.

Baroque music, written in four-quarter time (60 beats a minute), causes your heart rate to drop, or start to drop, to mimic the 60 beats a minute you're listening to. As a result, your muscles begin to relax and you'll begin to calm down.

Another benefit of listening to baroque music is that it helps increase learning comprehension. For example, if you listen to taped information and baroque music at the same time, you'll accelerate the learning process (provided you're in a relaxed state - which baroque music induces).

Give it a try. Listen to a tape or CD of baroque music on your way home from work, or after dinner.

EXERCISE

Aerobic exercise is great for moderating the effect of your emotions. If you're upset about something, a brisk walk or bike ride, or half-hour lifting weights will often calm you down.

Exercise takes built-up energy and tension and allows you to release them constructively. If you don't exercise or haven't mastered more complex ways of overriding negative emotions, stress will remain bottled up inside you.

The result is a multitude of undesirable side effects - like tense neck, shoulder and upper back muscles.

You should exercise at least five days a week, for one-half hour each time.

Paul Bacho is a certified athletic trainer in Cleveland, Ohio with over 28 years experience treating patients with chronic pain.

He's also co-author of "How to Get Permanent Relief From Chronic Tension Headaches," a holistic program that he's used to help hundreds of people get rid of tension headaches.

For more information, go to http://www.tensionheadaches.org

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