67. The Impact of Stress on Fitness: Strategies for Managing Stress Levels for Better Results

Hey there, dear friend! It's Mike again. Thank you for exploring my last blog post, “The Benefits of Functional Training: Improving Daily Movement Patterns." I'm thrilled to reconnect, and today, I'm diving into a fresh topic: “The Impact of Stress on Fitness: Strategies for Managing Stress Levels for Better Results”. Your insights are always appreciated, so let's start by sharing your technique to reduce your stress levels below in the comments.

Stress is a mechanism in our body that helps us "resolve" specific situations. It can be defined as an "alarm" system to keep us safe. However, in recent decades, stress levels have increased significantly due to global problems, chaos, and unexpected situations.

Stress elevates cortisol and adrenaline in our blood, especially during "fight or flight" moments, causing the cardiovascular system to pump more blood. Overall, the body undergoes significant stress, which can negatively impact our health. Therefore, it is crucial to develop strategies for managing stress and maintaining regularity in our routines.

 

Finding equilibrium is essential. Stress can arise from various areas such as family, friends, work, finances, debts, schedules, and time management. Please remember, you are not alone in experiencing this mechanism.

When a client starts a healthy lifestyle journey, I usually evaluate their stress and anxiety levels. After reviewing their responses, I assess their risk of increased stress. Most of us experience some form of stress daily, but if you have symptoms, it's vital to find the best solution for you.

 

The main symptoms include reduced appetite, decreased libido, changes in eating habits, irritability, problems with others, and loss of concentration, among others.

Here are two primary solutions I recommend for moments of high stress. First, it's essential to acknowledge and live through the feeling, though it might be challenging in practice. A useful breathing technique involves breathing in for four counts, holding for four counts, exhaling for four counts, and pausing without air for four counts. This technique is my favorite because it requires focusing on your breathing cycle.

 

The second option is to take a walk in a park. Stepping away from computers and cellphones and immersing yourself in nature can be incredibly calming. The connection with nature while walking should not be underestimated. Afterward, you'll feel much better.

As you can see, these solutions are simple to implement and don't require any purchases. Please share if these strategies have helped you and how your life has improved.