EXERCISE AND STRESS MANAGEMENT

In a year like 2020, I think it can go without saying that we are all familiar with stress in some way. The number of people who experience stress on a daily basis only seems to be getting higher, and as a result, their health is even more compromised. That is why stress management is such a crucial part of living a wholly healthy life (along with factors like exercise, nutrition, hydration, sleep, social support, stretching, and rest - all of which we are covering in this current blog series). So today we are breaking down how exactly stress affects our bodies, and how exercise, specifically, can help.

​First things first, it’s important to know that at its core, stress is not fully a bad thing. Our bodies have been designed to utilize stress in emergency situations for quick responses. By releasing stress hormones (i.e. cortisol and adrenaline) the body is triggered to respond in a variety of ways, such as increasing your heart and breathing rate to get a deeper intake of oxygen; constricting the blood vessels to send more oxygen to the muscles for more strength to take action; producing more blood sugar to give you more energy to respond; and tensing up your muscles to prevent injury [1].

Stress becomes a concern, though, when it does not dissipate. If we continuously feel stress on a day to day basis, or if we are experiencing stress for long periods of time (a.k.a. chronic stress), it starts to negatively affect our bodies, and puts our health at risk. An article on everydayhealth.com entitled “The United States of Stress 2019” explains it well:

When stress doesn’t let up and is paired with the feeling that we have little to no control over the circumstances that are creating it, that’s called chronic stress. Over and over again, the research points to one key fact: Prolonged or unremitting stress exacts a stunningly toxic toll on the body, brain, mind, and soul. Its ongoing assault wears us down, measurably aging — or “weathering” — our insides, for some of us much more than others."

So before we get into why exercise and stress management go hand in hand, let’s chat first about how exactly this kind of negative stress plays out in our bodies.

EFFECTS OF STRESS
Stress certainly affects us mentally and emotionally, but it also does a lot more to us physically than we might realize. Here are a handful of ways that chronic stress can manifest itself:

1. Tensed muscles, especially in the face, neck, and shoulders | Remember how we mentioned our bodies do this to help protect our muscles? Well if they never release or if they enter this state frequently, they don’t actually relax and return to a state of normalcy. This continued tension leads to headaches, neck and back pain, jaw pain, fidgetiness, or body aches. 
2. Brain alterations | A build-up of cortisol can start to impact the brain by damaging neural pathways, killing brain cells, or even reducing the size of the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for memory and learning. 
3. Compromised immune system | In light of 2020, it’s fairly obvious why this is a concern.
4. Restricted blood vessels | While in emergencies this is helpful for sending blood to muscles, in a prolonged state it also raises your blood pressure, resulting in your heart working harder for longer than it is intended to. This can lead to tightness in your chest, muscle cramps, rapid breathing, and in extreme cases, hyperventilation. Not to mention that when your blood pressure increases, so do the risks of you having a stroke or heart attack.
5. High blood sugar levels | When under the “good” kind of stress, this helps give energy for action, but under chronic stress your body may not be able to keep up with this increase in glucose, putting you at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
6. Heartburn | Stress increases the amount of acid in your stomach, which means you are more likely to have heartburn or acid reflux.
7. Disrupted digestion | Stress can impact the way that food moves through your body, leading to symptoms like stomach aches, nausea, vomiting, frequent urination, diarrhea or constipation.
8. Interrupted Sleep | Stress is what keeps many people up at night between racing thoughts and tensed up bodies, and when we don’t get enough quality, restful sleep, we can compromise our health even further.

It certainly doesn’t help that the worry or discomfort that any of these physical symptoms may raise in us can put us on a cycle of creating even more stress. That is ultimately why chronic stress can be so concerning. And it is why finding healthy ways to manage stress is so incredibly important. There are a variety of approaches to stress relief, and the most successful tactics for each person vary, but a major one that we are going to focus on today is exercise.​

HOW EXERCISE HELPS
The interesting thing about exercise is that it essentially imitates the effects of stress on your body, and so it helps your body work through them in an effective way. And considering the many connections the brain has with the body, the better you can make your body feel, the better your mind will feel. Here are some tangible ways that exercise can do that:

1. Exercise reduces levels of the body’s stress hormones which trigger the symptoms mentioned above.
2. Exercise boosts endorphins, which are powerful chemicals in the brain responsible for increasing your mood, energizing your spirits, and even providing some natural pain relief. The increase in blood circulation to the brain from exercise also helps with that mood boost.
3. Exercise can help you relax, which might sound a little counterintuitive since exercise means putting in work, but by keeping your body occupied, your mind focuses on the movement, and therefore is distracted from the worries that may be stressing you out.
4. Exercise can increase your self-esteem by increasing pride in your growing strength, stamina, and control, as well as in how you feel about your body.
5. Exercise improves your overall cognitive function by improving alertness and concentration, improving memory, promoting neural growth, reducing inflammation, and creating new activity patterns that promote calmness.
6. Exercise gives you more energy and reduces fatigue. 
7. Exercise can improve your sleep. Not only because it’s diminishing your stress as a whole, but also because it might just wear you out enough to fall asleep more easily.
8. Exercise decreases the overall tension your body carries by loosening and strengthening the muscles that have tightened up.
9. Exercise reduces your risk of developing chronic diseases like diabetes and even some cancers. And it’s also been proven to reduce anxiety and depression.

EXERCISE AS STRESS MANAGEMENT
Like we said, there are so many ways that you can practice self care and work to manage the stress in your life, but because of the benefits listed above, and because we’re about the kind of work that’s worth it around here, here are some tips for stress management that solely revolve around incorporating exercise more into your weekly routine.

1. Move in a way that YOU enjoy and that makes YOUR body feel good. While we are a little impartial to HIIT workouts, by all means you should be exercising in a way that you love. Doing so allows you to focus more on the self care aspect of it, which is going to improve your mood even more and is going to increase the likelihood that you will do it consistently, which is the most important part. 
   
2. Shift the way you think about exercise. Rather than viewing exercise as solely for weight loss, think of it as a necessity for your mental well being. Physical results may come, but those are just a bonus in comparison to all of the mental health benefits. Make it a priority in your life for the right reasons, and you’ll find it that much easier to schedule in some time for it.
   
3. Start small. If you haven’t been exercising much, or if the thought of incorporating an exercise routine into your already busy life may induce even more stress, keep it simple. Exercising does not have to be about pushing yourself to the max, or even going to a gym. Even five minutes of aerobic exercise can stimulate anti-anxiety effects [3]. So stretch in your chair for a 5 minute work break, have a 10 minute dance party in the kitchen with your kids, go for a 15 minute walk, or - if you’re feeling up for it - challenge yourself with a 30 minute workout to really get your heart pumping (we know a good place to find some). Take some baby steps, and build up from there.
   
4. Fight through the tough stuff. Starting is the hardest part when it comes to implementing regular exercise into your life, especially if you are dealing with a mental health concern like chronic stress. In the beginning you’ll likely feel sore, or you may find yourself frustrated when you compare yourself to others or a former version of yourself. But keep affirming yourself that the more you put in the work, the easier it will get, and the more you will see the effects of it. Don’t give up!
   
5. Give yourself grace. Know that progress is far more important than perfection. 
   
6. Set yourself up for success. Schedule workouts when your energy is highest, or when you know you will less likely be interrupted. Wear clothes that you are comfortable in. Invite a friend to join you or hold you accountable. Give yourself an incentive if you like having something to work towards. Whatever motivates you, use it to your advantage, and get moving!​
   

The bad news is, stress is sometimes inevitable. Add in a worldwide pandemic and a divisive election season and it might feel downright unavoidable. But the good news is, there are so many ways that you can work to combat and overcome it. Exercise is just one of them. If that’s a route you are wanting to try to help you relieve your own stress, reach out to us and we’d love to chat about ways we can help you on your fitness journey. And always remember: YOU’RE WORTH IT.

Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Written by Kelly Pruim