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Too Stressed to Exercise?
Too Stressed to Exercise?
We've all been there at some point; too stressed to even think about exercising at all. Whether it's finals season, busy work schedules, or quite simply, life is just having a heavy load to carry, the thought of exercising after all that craziness seems absurd. Well, according to a systematic review, this kind of behavior may not be entirely the fault of decision making, it might just be in our very nature instead. In this article, we will briefly explore this exact thought. We will also quickly look at how exercising contributes to stress, and what exercises and activities we recommend!
Is Stress Keeping You Down... Literally? — The Drawbacks of Stress
Is Stress Keeping You Down... Literally? — The Drawbacks of Stress
It's no secret that in times of stressful situations, stress can quickly lead to depression. Speaking from experience, there's nothing that encourages more physical inactivity than the feeling of having too much to handle. Getting overly stressed out, or being depressed, has those qualities; the couch potato lifestyle and dropping any sort of good habit at an instant. Well, in a systematic review performed by Stults-Kolehmainen and Sinha in The Effects of Stress on Physical Activity and Exercise, it turns out there was a lot to say about this relationship between stress and exercise... I'll summarize the important points for you.
They're not just your bad habits, no seriously.
They're not just your bad habits, no seriously.
In response to stress, it's normal to find yourself perform in unhealthy behaviors, such as binging the first 4 seasons of The Office on Netflix. With all that comedy and snacking, it can be easy to forget about that workout you were supposed to do.
The big 5.
The big 5.
Changes in employment status, where you live, relationships, family structure, and your physical health all contribute to less exercise. This makes sense since these can be times of great stress and figuring stuff out. Who has time to exercise when you can't even find your workout shoes in one of the boxes you packed!?
Two sides of the same picture.
Two sides of the same picture.
In general, the individuals who were less active were less likely to exercise when stressed compared to those who were more active. So starting your New Year's resolutions before the upcoming year could help you out when life comes back after the holidays!
Conclusions.
Conclusions.
Despite knowing the positive affects of exercise on stress, over 70% of the research suggested that stress can impair the act of performing physical activity all together. Only about 17% of the the research championed the idea that stress leads to more physical activity, and the remaining 13% failed to definitively take either stance of action or impairment of exercise due to stress.
So don't feel bad if you find yourself in this boat, it's normal. It's ok to be stressed and it's ok that you didn't feel like going out for your morning jog like you were supposed to. We are just here to make sure you're aware of the effects of stress on your physically active lifestyle, hence, that is why this section exists.
(Stults-Kolehmainen & Sinha, 2014)
Exercise Prescription
Exercise Prescription
150 minutes a week of moderate physical activity
Or 75 minutes a week of vigorous physical activity
Plus two days of 20 minute muscle strengthening activities
What Exercise Can Do for YOU
What Exercise Can Do for YOU
We've been tossing around a couple of terms that may have seemed to be 2 of the same word; physical activity and exercise. It turns out that these two words hold different meanings. According to Dr. Jalene who teaches Social Psychology of Physical Activity at the University of Las Vegas, Nevada, physical activity is "any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure" and exercise is just "planned PA". In other words, physical activity is simply moving and exercise is planned movement!
Looking at a study perfromed by Kettunen, Vuorimaa, and Vasankari in 2015, they focused on how exercise affected stress, confidence and efficiency, and cardiorespiratory fitness (the heart and the aerobic fitness) in 2 adult groups: One group, in which we'll call group A, was the group of adults who voluntarily exercised in a full year program, provided as part of the experiment, and had follow-ups at specific benchmarks with the most notable one being measured a full year after the provided exercise program was over. Group B acted as the control group, and their role was solely to take part in the follow-ups in the same way as group A did. This section will focus on the important results of the experiment and the benefits that exercise can provide for you!
Gettin' more relaxed.
Gettin' more relaxed.
Exercise was associated with an overall decrease in stress levels by about 20% a whole year after the exercise program ended. So what are you waiting for? Get out there, go for a jog. The beaches are calling and relaxation is on the rise, just don't forget to take your sunscreen!
Without a doubt!
Without a doubt!
There was a relationship of a greater sense of confidence and efficiency of everyday tasks with a steady increase of mental resources with those who exercised.
Coincidence??? I THINK NOT!!!
A huge flex.
A huge flex.
Cardiorespiratory fitness correlated to a maintainable improvement, 1 year after exercise ended, by about 5% in those who exercised throughout the previous year. In other words, your heart was healthier! That's something to show off and brag about to your friends.
(Kettunen, Vuorimaa, & Vasankari, 2015)
Its not all about working out
Its not all about working out
Playing with your children is a great way to get some exercise in while having fun!
Walking your dog is not only great exercise for you but your furry friend too.
Not only do you get a tan but swimming also doubles as great workout. A two for one!
We all try to avoid them but they are actually good exercise! Try taking the stairs.
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