You’ve been coming to all your training sessions and your nutrition is better than ever, but you
haven’t seen much progress. So, what’s the deal? A smart diet and exercise are supposed to be
the key to this whole healthy living thing, right?
While exercise and nutritious food are key components to progressing in your fitness, there are
so many other aspects of your life that encompass how your body feels and what it can do.
Hydration, hormone levels, sleep, and STRESS, which may be the biggest downfall for many of
us, have an enormous role in our metabolic processes and body composition. Cortisol, a
hormone released during stress responses, can be helpful in the short term in small amounts. It
assists with managing stress, blood sugar, circadian rhythm, inflammation, and lipolysis (using
stored fat for energy). However, chronic stress leads to consistently elevated levels of cortisol
that negatively impact the body’s functioning. Chronically elevated cortisol can inhibit amino
acids from entering muscle cells, as well as inhibiting bone formation. Cortisol also stimulates
appetite, disrupts reproductive function, & can lead to high blood pressure and lipogenesis in
the abdominal region (fat storage in the belly).
One of the greatest favors we can do for our bodies, besides providing the movement and fuel
that it desperately wants and needs, is to lower our stress levels. I know, with your never
pausing work day and responsibilities that get added to the list it seems an impossible task to
some. But you’ve made it this far! You only have one body, one life, one chance. There will
always be work, whether you stay late to get work done today or not. We want to make it as
easy for you as possible, so below are some of our recommendations to make small changes to
your day for stress management:
- Get more sleep: Start with 20 extra minutes per night, work your way up!
- Lower caffeine intake: Remove the mid-day soda or coffee refill, drink a full glass of ice
cold water instead. Splash your face with cold water every morning to get started, or go
the extra mile and make it a cold shower!
- Clear your mind with a walk: Extra 5 minutes in your lunchbreak? 10 minutes before you
should leave for your next appointment? Head outside and take a walk with nature. No
screen in front of your face, no phone calls to distract you, just look at the trees around
you! When’s the last time you did that?
- Nightly reflection/breathing time: Start with 5 minutes per day where you spend
reflecting on the positives of your day and focusing on deep, calm breaths.
AXIS Training Studio is always here for you on your healthy lifestyle endeavors and we want you
to be the best version of you! If you’re needing help implementing some of these habits or
want some direction, feel free to contact us to speak with one of our certified staff!