As I am writing this blog, it's 7 AM on Black Friday 2014. Yesterday, millions of Americans gave thanks for what they have. Today, many of those same people will trample their fellow man to save 30% on a 50-inch TV. Yes, the next 4 weeks are known as the most stressful time of the year. It's a time when far too many people simply give in to holiday traditions--eating and drinking an extra 1,000 calories a day, spending absurd amounts of money on material things, and completely ignoring their personal health.
Everybody's stressed out! Even everyday issues seem insurmountable. And when all of these internal and external stimuli are magnified for the next 28 days, it results in emotional, mental, and physical strains on our body. These chronic strains often lead to anxiety and depression, high blood pressure, heart problems, cancer, and can even change the architecture of our brain.
Stress is simply our body's response to all of these challenging factors. Stress activates our body's sympathetic nervous system--our "fight or flight" response. And during those infrequent times when you're being chased by a Doberman, stress is good. Chronic stress, however, causes our adrenal glands to pump more cortisol and adrenaline into our bloodstream. The excessive amounts of these hormones can inhibit digestion, slow liver metabolism, decrease cellular repair, increase memory loss and lower immune functions.
Excess cortisol also results in additional belly fat and can zap our energy levels. This is why we often crave comfort foods, usually sweets that contain high amounts of simple sugars (donuts, cinnamon rolls, pie and cake). Our body also seeks out foods higher in fats, and alcohol for a quick, but short-lived boost of energy.
THERE IS A CURE!!
The proper amounts and types of exercise can help us control the emotional, mental and physical feelings and changes that accompany chronic stress. Exercise increases the ability of our body and brain to recover from all those stimuli that are constantly bombarding us. In 35 separate studies of women, 66% showed an increased risk of breast cancer in women who do not exercise regularly. Another study also showed that 70% of men over the age of 65 who exercised regularly have a decreased chance of fatal prostate cancer.
Exercise also:
- Increases the efficiency of energy production without elevating toxic oxidative stress
- Increases insulin receptors to better utilize blood glucose
- Keeps cortisol levels in check
- Helps the brain relax during stressful situations
- Reverses the effects that stress has on the hippocampus
When exercising to reduce stress, remember to keep your intensity levels fairly high (a 7-8 out of 10 on your personal rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale) and the duration fairly short--30 minutes is a good amount of time. And three 30-minute workouts a week is manageable for everyone, it's less than 1% of our weekly hours. Incorporate a mixture of resistance training and conditioning work to strengthen the muscles, heart and brain.
Also insert 30-45 minutes of parasympathetic activities daily to aid in recovery. This can include meditation, yoga, massage or foam rolling, taking a warm bath and reading. It doesn't include technology, so turn off the TV, put the smart phone away, and stay off the internet (although shopping on the internet may keep you from stomping your neighbor at Wal-Mart!).
Happy Holidays!
Move Better. Eat Better. Live Better!!
Happy Holidays!
Move Better. Eat Better. Live Better!!
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