Exercise & Stress: Good or Bad?

Should I exercise when I’m stressed?

There are a lot of mixed messages out there, so let’s look at some facts. 

Intense exercise causes a temporary increase in stress hormones BUT:

✅ The cortisol spike during intense exercise reduces the cortisol response to subsequent stressors in life AND

✅ Exercise releases endorphins, which naturally combat stress AND

✅ Regular exercise over time supports a healthy cortisol rhythm. 

Some exercises, like yoga and tai chi, combat stress by putting the nervous system into a more parasympathetic state.  

So, for most people, exercise helps to combat stress. 

Exercise only becomes a problem when it’s extreme and intense—particularly in people who are already stressed by other things in life. 

It’s all about looking at the big picture! 

8 Minutes Per Day of Exercise? (new study)

Do you ever skip exercise because you don’t have time? 👇

A new study in the European Heart Journal found that all you need is 8 minutes!! 

How is that possible?

The study looked at data from fitness trackers worn by more than 71,000 people in the UK and followed their health status (tracking heart disease, cancer, and deaths) for about 6 years. 

📋 That’s a lot of data 📋

Compared with no exercise, they began to see health benefits at just 15-20 minutes per week of vigorous exercise.

2 bouts per day of 2 minutes of vigorous exercise was associated with 35% lower deaths from heart disease. 

👉 The optimal amount of vigorous exercise was 54 minutes per week (8 minutes per day) 👈

More than 8 minutes per day and the benefits plateaued. 

If you’re wondering why this sounds a bit different than the typical recommendation to exercise 30 minutes at least 5 times per week, it’s because the 8 minutes we’re talking about is VIGOROUS rather than moderate exercise. 

Vigorous Exercise Means:

✅ Heart rate above 77% your max (if you’re wearing a fitness tracker)

✅ Breathing too hard to have a comfortable conversation

✅ It could be dancing, running, biking, lifting weights, or anything that gets you feeling breathless

I have nothing against a long walk or bike ride, but if you’re crunched for time, this study is fabulous news. 

Let me know in the comments—have you ever tried short bursts or exercise instead of long? 👇

REFERENCE:

Ahmadi MN, Clare PJ, Katzmarzyk PT, Del Pozo Cruz B, Lee IM, Stamatakis E. Vigorous physical activity, incident heart disease, and cancer: how little is enough? [published online ahead of print, 2022 Oct 27]. Eur Heart J. 2022. [link]

Tips for Weight Management at Any Age

Is aerobic exercise the only way to lose weight? Or can resistance training be effective too?

A recent meta-analysis of 114 studies (involving more than 4000 participants) aimed to answer that question. 

To be included, the studies needed to compare a resistance-based exercise program to no intervention and measure its effect across all ages on:

🔹 Body fat percentage

🔹 Whole-body fat mass

🔹 Trunk fat mass

🔹 Visceral fat tissue

🔹 Subcutaneous fat tissue

🔹 Lean mass

🔹 Body weight

🔹 Body mass index

The meta-analysis came to 4 main conclusions:

1️⃣ Resistance training significantly reduces body fat percentage and whole-body fat mass in people with overweight or obesity—with greater effects when combined with caloric restriction. 

2️⃣ Resistance training significantly reduces regional fat—with greater effect in middle-aged and older adults or when combined with aerobic exercise. 

3️⃣ Resistance training alone is the most effective way to increase lean muscle mass.

4️⃣ Resistance training significantly reduces body weight and BMI in all age groups except children and adolescents. There is a greater effect when combine with caloric restriction and/or aerobic exercise.  

The bottom line?

👉Resistance training can be an important part of weight management at any age. 

Do you have any favorite forms of resistance training?