Stressin' over Stress

We all deal with stress in our lives, whether it’s from work, school, or just that good looking someone you are trying to impress. Stress is the body’s way of responding to any change in your environment; physical or emotional.  The human body is designed to experience stress and react to it by initiating about 1400 different responses. Stress can be positive by helping you stay alert and ready, but when there is no relaxation or relief, it has countless negative effects on your health and weight.

As soon as our body is faced with a stressful situation, our body explodes with a sudden surge of energy with the flooding of hundreds of hormones and chemical activators into the blood stream. One of those hormones, cortisol, converts glycogen stored in the liver into blood sugar, thus stimulating the brain and whole body with instant energy. With too much stress, the excess amounts of cortisol will suppress the immune system, making us vulnerable to many illnesses and chronic diseases. Cortisol secretion peaks out early in the morning and tapers down throughout the day into the night.  It regulates energy by selecting the right type and amount of carbohydrate, fat or protein that is needed by the body to meet the demands that is placed on it. Additionally, when stress levels become too high or chronic, cortisol can relocate fat to the deep cells of the belly. Extra sodium is retained affecting the cardiovascular system and causing water retention. It also causes “baby fat cells” to mature into larger fat cells. The increased levels also increase appetite and cravings for sugar. This often causes a correlation with stress and obesity.

Now, we know that it is impossible to completely eliminate all stress and in fact a stress-free life would actually be harmful to our bodies; but we must work hard to assure that these levels do not get too high. None of us want the high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes that can be triggered by high cortisol levels but most of all we don’t want the FAT storage! While diet and exercise help fight these conditions keep in mind that a “hardcore” workout while stressed isn’t always the best answer. Your body needs recovery time so if you are stressed to the max, beating yourself to death in the gym can actually make it worse. On days like these, try something a little more soothing, like yoga or a massage. Bringing your stress levels down and relaxing the body may actually be more beneficial than training that day. But let’s not make this an everyday routine!  Once we have this under control, weight loss should continue with just proper diet and exercise, so if you are still having difficulty getting the LBS. to fall off check your stress levels! Listen to your body, take time to relax, and then hit the gym and BRING IT!!!!!!!!