Avera Medical Minute: Just Breathe, Relieve Stress Live 12/08/10 - KSFY News - Sioux Falls, SD News, Weather, Sports

There are plenty of ways to relieve stress - exercise, a long soak in a hot bath, or even a massage. But believe it or not, something you're doing right now, probably without even thinking about it, is a proven stress reliever: breathing.  Dr. Jennifer McKay with Avera McKennan explains what happens to a body under stress and why deep breathing can actually help calm both the mind and the body.

As it turns out, deep breathing is not only relaxing, it's been scientifically proven to affect the heart, the brain, digestion, the immune system — and maybe even the expression of genes.