Although exercise can be a good way to manage stress better, it is not the only thing that is beneficial. stressful. It should. It’s the paradox.
Exercise and movement have numerous health benefits.
You need to make your body work to its maximum potential to benefit from cardio-protective and muscle building exercises. This will allow your body to adapt and build muscle mass, strengthen the heart, release beneficial hormones, etc.
To put it another way, exercise requires you to be under some form of physical stress. Your exercise program doesn’t stimulate your heart or challenge your muscles to the limit, and you won’t be reaping all the rewards of training.
Cortisol is released when there’s stress. Cortisol can be your friend. Too much cortisol can be your enemy. Cortisol is a hormone that diverts energy from the repair of tissues or muscle. High levels of cortisol in the blood will make it difficult to rest and repair.
This is a risk for athletes who train too hard or don’t get enough sleep between sessions. Your performance will suffer and eventually lead to injury and burnout. This risk can be present even if you don’t exercise a lot. If you are an overly-zealous person trying to lose weight, the same negative cortisol effect can be experienced.
For those looking to increase their exercise ability, there is no substitute for good nutrition, rest, and recuperation. Variation in the exercise type is helpful too.
There is also a nutritional supplement.
The supplement phosphatidylserine is a natural component of your cell membrane and has been shown to reduce post-exercise cortisol. You can work harder, get more rest, and achieve faster athletic results. You can even improve your game by using it.
Here’s a link to the underlying research: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1997116
My online dispensary Wellevate can provide access to high-quality, high-quality phosphatidylserine. For this to happen, however, you will need your email information. Email me at drlavine@askdrlavine.com for more info.