Stop Stressing!

For the next couple of blogs I want to talk to you all about stress. It comes in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes. We each have to deal with it though; it’s part of the human experience so to speak. Some stress in your life can be a positive thing; it can serve as that extra motivation to stay focused or that nudge you need to get all your daily tasks accomplished. For the most part, we each know what are stress-triggers are, but what you may not know is the chemical cause of stress and some of the health risks associated with it.

The word of the day is cortisol. Maybe some of you have heard of it. It is a hormone secreted by the adrenal gland and is involved proper glucose metabolism, regulation of blood pressure, insulin regulation, immune system functions, and the body’s inflammatory response. It is always present in the body, but in the mornings there is a higher level than in the evening. It is often referred to as the stress hormone because your body produces it excessively when it is feeling overwhelmed, whether mental, physical, or emotional.

How it works, on a very basic level, is simply when your body feels threatened, it secretes adrenaline, norepinephrine, and cortisol which then increases the flow of glucose, fat, and protein in the bloodstream to boost energy and physical readiness to handle the stressful situation at hand. When your body is in this state your heart rate and blood flow increase. This enables you to potentially run faster and fight with more intensity. All other bodily processes (at least the ones that are not needed for immediate survival) are slowed down; this includes the digestive, immune, and reproductive systems.

This was necessary and helpful for the Neanderthals who relied on this quick adrenaline rush when running away from a saber tooth tiger. But in today’s day in age, typically, the stress we suffer is psychological and does not usually require us to fight or take flight. Unfortunately, our bodies do not make this distinction. To it, stress is stress no matter what sort. So regardless of the situation- whether your kids are screaming, you are trying to make deadline, finances are tight, you have too much homework, you and your boyfriend/girlfriend just broke up, a family member is very ill- your body is shifting into this overdrive mode automatically… just like that caveman running from the saber tooth. Looks like we still have some evolving to do.

Since we are constantly bombarded with stress, our bodies are constantly trying to cope. This presents us with a huge problem. The longer your body is in stress mode, the more difficult it is to go back down to normal mode. Instead, your stress hormone levels, heart rate, and blood pressure all remain elevated. The effects of this can be detrimental.

People who have high levels of cortisol in their blood stream are at risk for developing a variety of problems. These include blood sugar imbalances, lower bone density, impaired mental performance, loss of muscle tissue, lowered immunity, high blood pressure, and an increase in abdominal fat (which is associated with a whole different set of problems including heart attacks, strokes, etc).

With all of these health issues stemming from stress, it is easy to see why we need to take a couple of seconds just to breath, not just for mental clarity, but because it is physically good for you as well. Life is hard no one said it would be easy! Life’s hurdles are there to make us stronger. We all must remain strong in our faith and know that a healthy body will get us through these tough times. Next week, I want to go through a variety of ways you can de-stress.

Anyone have any suggestions or comments on how they personally de-stress let us know? Leave comments and/or questions here or on our FaceBook page.

by Mike White (Owner, Trainer @ Body-N-Motion)