Stress And Exercise Don’t Play Nicely
- Brainz Magazine
- Aug 25, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 18, 2024
Written by: Lyn-Genet Recitas, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Are you more stressed now than you were when you were 20? I am. Definitely. As you age you are more stressed from life, work, family and friends. But on top of that there are two factors you might not think about. Inflammatory foods, which I will address later and even, wait for this, exercise. It will slow your metabolism and increase stress.
Wait, what? Everyone says you need to exercise to lose weight and help with stress. Why am I saying something very different?
When your cortisol(stress hormone) is high, your body’s ability to handle more stress decreases. At this point, it's your autonomic nervous system that takes the wheel. This system handles things automatically— it keeps you breathing, prompting your digestive juices to flow, and managing other responses that you don't consciously decide on.
The autonomic nervous system has two sides: the sympathetic nervous system, which revs up the stress response, and the parasympathetic nervous system, which triggers the relaxation response. The secret to a humming metabolism is keeping these two sides in harmony: finding that sweet spot between manageable stress and relaxation. The real issue arises when stress keeps building and there is no relief.
Here’s a good example. The morning rush to get your kids out the door, a commute that is more like a parking lot, and your boss is throwing you shade for being late. You're juggling six deadlines and that’s before lunch! By the time you crawl into bed, you're bone-tired, but your mind is still running a marathon thanks to those persistent stress hormones. It's a 24/7 stress fiesta without relief breaks, and that’s a downright disaster for your mood and for your weight. Just reading this paragraph made me exhausted!
So, how do you find this magical, seemingly impossible balance? Simple! Don’t let stress be the boss of you! It’s always handy to have some tips and here are the first five I share with my clients.
1. Find the foods that work for you. If you are feeling bloated after eating or need to take a nap, you probably ate a food that is inflammatory for you. Just because it’s “healthy” doesn’t mean it’s healthy for you. I can’t tell you how many people felt better when they stopped eating salmon or cauliflower. In fact, every person I have met is eating at least three healthy foods that cause inflammation.
2. If you are waking up early to work out and not getting at least seven hours of sleep – stop! Sleep is when your body repairs and loses the most weight. Sleep replenishes you and allows you to navigate this crazy world we live in. So hit the snooze button!
3. Exercise after 5 p.m. disrupts our natural circadian rhythm and causes a cortisol spike when it is supposed to be dropping. That spike tells your body there is “danger”, so it holds onto fat and keeps you on high alert. Being on high alert means you are more sensitive to the daily things that drive you crazy.
4. Program in some leisurely walks, one at lunch and one after work is perfect, it allows you to decompress in a healthy way, plus it boosts metabolism. Learn something new. Maybe it’s pickleball or yoga. Make sure that exercise is FUN. If you are dragging yourself to the gym, it’s time for something new.
5 Surround yourself with a tribe of people who support you, not a group of haters. The naysayers? Let them stress someone else out. You deserve better.
Lyn-Genet Recitas, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Lyn-Genet Recitas, Sports Nutritionist, HHP NMT, is the NY Times and International Bestselling author of The Plan and The Metabolism Plan a groundbreaking anti-inflammatory nutritional protocol which has been published in over 15 countries. She’s been featured on Dr. Oz, Huffington Post, CBS, NBC, Fox News, Women’s Running, Fitness, Vogue, Marie Claire, Elle, and Prevention. Lyn-Genet and her staff of doctors and nutritionists have helped hundreds of thousands of men and women reach their best health by finding their chemical responses to food, not counting calories. The Plan is an effective way to lose weight, improve health and reverse the aging process.
