Exercise and Stress – Questions and Answers

Exercise and Stress
Q. Who has heard the phrase “it’s stress related” or “just reduce your
stress and you’ll be fine!”

Q. And how many of you truly believe that stress DOES play a big part in how we
feel on a daily basis along with our overall health?

Q. How about exercise? Is it really THAT important to our weight loss and overall
health or is it just over-rated?

In this article we are going to talk about the importance of Exercise and Stress.
Can Stress Make You Fat?

Stress trickles throughout your entire body. Under stress, the body produces hormones.
When we’re under stress, the fight or flight response is triggered in our bodies, leading to
the release of various hormones.

a. Adrenaline (Lighter Fluid: fast burn rate)
b. Cortisol (Charcoal: slower, elongated burn rate )
There are several ways in which stress can contribute to weight gain. One has to do with
Cortisol. Once the body has burned through the Adrenaline that’s produced right away
when we face stress…our bodies then produce Cortisol. If we do not maintain a level of activity continuously to

burn through Cortisol… it will then deposit in the mid-section of
the body and become fat.

Whether we’re stressed because of constant, crazy demands at work or we’re really in
danger, our bodies respond like we’re about to be harmed and need to fight for our lives.
In today’s society we get stress from things like:

a. Work
b. Deadlines
c. Worry
d. Overdue bills
e. Money
f. Time (never enough hours in the day)
Studies at Yale University have shown that people with higher stress Cortisol levels ATE
MORE FOOD and ate more sweets and showed more stored FAT in the belly.

The higher the Cortisol levels, the higher the amount of belly fat in both men and
women!

Stress Affects in Many Ways

• Lack of sleep (studies show that the lesser sleep a person gets, the higher the
Cortisol levels in the body)
• Poor decision making skills (going to the drive through vs. going home to make
dinner for the family)
• Metabolism — Too much Cortisol can slow your metabolism, causing more weight
gain than you would normally experience. This also makes dieting more difficult.
• Cravings — People experiencing chronic stress tend to crave more fatty, salty and
sugary foods. This includes sweets, processed food and other things that aren’t as
good for you. These foods are typically less healthy and lead to increased weight
gain.
• Blood Sugar — Prolonged stress can alter your blood sugar levels, causing mood
swings, fatigue, and conditions like hyperglycemia.
• Fat Storage — Excessive stress even affects where we tend to store fat. Higher levels
of stress are linked to greater levels of abdominal fat.
• Emotional Eating — Increased levels of Cortisol can not only make you crave
unhealthy food, but excess nervous energy can often cause you to eat more than you
normally would. How many times have you found yourself scouring the kitchen for a
snack, or absently munching on junk food when you’re stressed, but not really
hungry?

Tips on Managing Stress

• Deep breathing is an easy stress reliever that has numerous benefits for the body,
including oxygenating the blood, which ‘wakes up’ the brain, relaxing your muscles
and quieting the mind.
• Learn Tension-Taming Techniques: Certain techniques can activate your body’s
relaxation response, putting your body in a calm state. These techniques, including meditation, yoga, deep

breathing exercises, journaling and positive imagery, can be learned easily and practiced when you’re under stress,

helping you feel better relatively quickly.

• Exercise is an excellent stress reduction tool, and this is true for several reasons:
a.Exercise helps release built-up tension in the body.
b.Exercise can give you a venue for releasing emotional tension as well.
c.Exercise releases endorphins and other “happy hormones” in your body, promoting a feeling of wellbeing.
• Yoga: It’s great for physical health and flexibility, and it can also help you get into a
meditative state.
• Martial Arts: It can help you develop self-discipline, become part of a community,
release frustration and tension, and even feel safer, as you’ll be better able to defend
yourself in the event of an attack.
• Swimming: Combining the soothing properties of water and the benefits of exercise,
swimming is a great way to get in shape, cool off, and feel great.
• Walking: Just about anyone can do this one, and it can conform to your schedule:
You can take a walk on your lunch break, put little kids in a stroller and walk, walk in
the morning before your shower, etc.

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