How Exercise and Nutrition Can Combat Stress
According to results from a recent poll conducted by the American Psychological Association, roughly 76% of US adults experience at least one symptom caused by stress. Some of the most commonly reported symptoms revealed in the poll included headache (38%), fatigue (35%), feeling nervous or anxious (34%), and feeling depressed or sad (33%). Seventy-two percent of the respondents experienced one or more of these additional symptoms: feeling overwhelmed (33%), experiencing changes in sleeping habits (32%), and/or worrying constantly (30%).
I personally encountered a significant bout of stress recently. I started developing headaches as well as neck and upper back pain. At first I chalked it up to just a result of pushing myself too hard during recent workouts. However, as the headaches and neck/back pain lingered, I realized quickly this wasn’t physical. I was experiencing symptoms of emotional stress.
I took out a piece of paper and pen and started jotting down what was stressing me out. While many of the things I was stressing about were “common” (job, family, money, health, etc.), many of the items on my list were unnecessarily causing me to worry and stress. For example, I was stressing about whether I was producing enough content for the Carroll Fitness blog and Social Media. Does this really warrant stress? Probably not.
I then proceeded to apply some of my go-to techniques to help manage my stress: took an Epsom Salt bath, meditated (I personally love the meditation classes on the Peloton App), took a couple days off working out (however I still remained active with walks), and made a point to go to bed early.
It is important to engage in regular exercise and prioritize the consumption of nutrient-dense, minimally processed foods to help reduce and prevent future bouts of stress. Some of the benefits of regular exercise and balanced nutrition include:
Cleared mind and improved mood
Increased energy
Lowered blood pressure
Increased “good” cholesterol (HDL)
Controlled blood sugar levels
Limited inflammation in your body
Increased confidence in yourself
More likely than not, you are going to experience some form of stress at one time or another. It’s important we recognize what triggers our stress, and implement coping strategies before the stress spirals out of control. If you are stretching yourself too thin with obligations for work, family, social engagements, etc., you are going to burn yourself out. Similar to working out. Going “hard” every workout is going to place stress on your body. Build in rest/recovery days to give your body time to heal and repair between workouts. Exercise should be used as a tool to alleviate, not increase, stress!
