The Effects of Stress on Our Bodies
“How are you feeling today?”
This is one of the first questions I ask an athlete or client when they arrive for a session. During our warm-up I will continue with questions like: how did you sleep, are you sore, have you had a busy week, how has nutrition been, and even what are your plans for the rest of your day? I ask because getting to know your people is a vital part of being a quality Coach and provider, but knowing these answers is CRUCIAL information for determining how I need to modify or move forward with our session.
I frequently say that our body reads STRESS as STRESS and I mean it. Regardless of whether the stress comes from an intense training session, a tough workday, a relationship, the lack of fuel or sleep, or any other environmental or psychological factor – our body responds. The textbook definition of stress is, “a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension,” (1).
The tension that our body feels sends signals to our brain. Within the first 6-48 hours after the initial stress has occurred our body initiates the Alarm Phase. This is when our sympathetic nervous system (the flight or fight system) releases stress hormones increasing heart rate, blood flow, and prepares the body to fight, flight or freeze. Then, our body begins to repair itself during the Resistance Phase and our parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest – the calm one) takes over aiming to restore us to homeostasis by relaxing those excited organs and tissues. However, if these repairs cannot be made, we fall into the Stage of Exhaustion where we experience sickness, poor movement patterns, and even death (2,3). These stages were termed the General Adaption Syndrome in 1950 by Hans Selye after observing the effects of exercise, burns, bone breaks, and stress (2).
So, instead of saying ALL of that, I say stress is stress. Our body does not care the origin of the stressor – it just responds with tension.
Regardless of your stance on the current state of our nation, you cannot argue that we are all under some form of stress and tensions are high. As 2020 continues to unfold and we still have the desire to train our bodies, we should be more cognizant of our answers to the question, “how am I feeling today?”.
Ways to modify your workout:
Adjust your volume – reduce sets and reps
Reduce your weights – focus more on movement and form
Do a recovery session – foam roll, stretch, practice new balance or isometric drills
Train with a friend
Do a quick HIIT session – think less, move more
Eat well and take a nap.
In May’s Blog, I mentioned that we should all be patient as we come out of quarantine and be kind to ourselves.
Well, for June 2020 - give yourself even more grace than usual because the world is not “as usual.” 2020 is proving itself to be a tough year; but, if training has taught us anything, it is that proper recovery from those tough days is what elicits repair and new growth. Humans are designed to adapt and evolve. It is those tough times that test us, break us, and allow us to grow stronger and more powerful.
Be kind & patient. Be resilient.
Listen to your body.
1. Stress. Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online. Retrieved 2017 from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stress.
2. McArdle, WD, Katch, FI, and Katch, VL. Exercise Physiology: Nutrition, Energy, and Human Performance (7th ed.) Baltimore, MD: Lippincott, Williams, and Wilkins; 328, 2009.
3. Lynch, Jonathon. Understanding and Managing Stress in Collegiate Athletics. NSCA Coach 4(4): online, June 2016.