{"id":39454,"date":"2015-04-28T07:15:54","date_gmt":"2015-04-28T11:15:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=39454"},"modified":"2021-11-18T11:31:57","modified_gmt":"2021-11-18T16:31:57","slug":"chronic-stress-wrecking-workouts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/lifestyle\/chronic-stress-wrecking-workouts\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Chronic Stress Wrecking Your Workouts? 5 Ways to Sideline Your Stress"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Is
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Kristina King started her first job out of college at a major Manhattan PR agency this year, she knew that regular exercise would be the key to staying sane<\/a>. The only problem: By the time she makes it to the gym, she can\u2019t always shut off her mind to focus on her workouts. \u201cWhen I\u2019m preoccupied with a big project, it\u2019s hard for me to push my body if I\u2019m mentally still at the office,\u201d says King, 22. \u201cI get overwhelmed, and if I\u2019m stressed, it skews my motivation<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ruminating on her workday drains her energy \u2014 and her muscles ache if she begins a workout feeling angry. Not to mention how stress-induced poor sleep<\/a> takes a toll on her endurance. \u201cFor someone who needs a good workout to manage her stress, it\u2019s a vicious cycle,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 9 Ways to Fall Asleep Faster (Without Counting Sheep)<\/a><\/p>\n

We all know that a good run or ride is a great way to alleviate the tension, mind fog and fatigue<\/a> of a stressful day. Once you get those endorphins flowing, you feel more confident and the world can seem less daunting. Research shows<\/a> that, over time, athletes even become more resilient to the negative effects of stress, which is one more reason to keep moving.<\/p>\n

Yet, stress can also have a sneaky way of sabotaging<\/a> your workouts before you\u2019ve even laced up your sneakers. Perhaps you find yourself obsessing about work or relationship problems<\/a> instead of focusing on your speed or technique. Or, maybe feeling worked up makes it hard to settle into a good run. Here\u2019s what happens to your body when you\u2019re stressed, and how to prevent it from sapping your strength.<\/p>\n

How Chronic Stress Screws with Your Workouts<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Those late nights at the office can have a far-reaching impact on your health. Chronic stress hurts your ability to regulate the hormone cortisol, which influences metabolism<\/a>, immunity, sleep rhythms and blood pressure. As a result, you\u2019ll feel run-down and tired \u2014\u00a0and may be more subject to gaining weight. Not to mention it might be harder to manage those treadmill intervals<\/a> when you\u2019re feeling blah.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt fatigues muscles, hurts endurance and puts you in a jagged mental state.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 6 Signs You\u2019re Exhausted (Not Just Tired)<\/a><\/p>\n

Although the slight increase in cortisol from moderate stress can have a positive impact<\/a> on performance, one Italian study<\/a> of young adults engaged in a workout competition found that acute stress before and during the event hurt their scores. But it\u2019s more complicated than suffering from pre-competition nerves.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re stressed out, you\u2019re probably not sleeping well, which makes your cortisol out of whack. This can cause you to overeat<\/a> and feel sluggish. \u201cBy affecting your body\u2019s ability to regulate cortisol, you might be putting yourself at risk for weight gain and not being as productive with exercise,\u201d explains Domenica Rubino<\/a>, MD, an endocrinologist at the Washington Center for Weight Management in Arlington, Virginia. Her advice: Protect your performance by not going to bed or eating too late<\/a>, both of which can wreak further havoc with your sleep.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> The Hidden Ways Sleep Deprivation Can Lead to Weight Gain<\/a><\/p>\n

Bill Cole, a sports psychologist<\/a> based in Cupertino, California, and founder of the Mental Game Coaching Association<\/a>, advises athletes not to mistake the frenetic energy that can accompany stress for helpful motivation. \u201cIt fatigues muscles<\/a>, hurts endurance and puts you in a jagged mental state,\u201d says Cole, who specializes in stress management. In other words, it can throw you off balance psychologically and make it hard to achieve proper momentum during a workout.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to feel like your workout is going nowhere fast if stress prevents you from getting a good start. \u201cHow do people get off track…They\u2019re not hitting their targets, and they feel like they\u2019re going backwards. Or, they jump ahead and assume that if the opening minutes were crummy, then the rest of the workout will be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here are some strategies for getting back<\/a> in the zone.<\/p>\n

\"Is
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5 Ways to Sideline Your Stress<\/h3>\n

1. Remember your <\/strong>success stories<\/strong>.
\n<\/strong>Next time stress is weighing you down, remind yourself that you\u2019ve pulled through before. \u201cRemember three times you started [a workout] badly and finished well,\u201d advises Cole. \u201cPeople who are inexperienced at handling stress have [these] data points, but they don\u2019t retrieve them. They\u2019re too caught up in their emotions.\u201d Instead of wallowing, relive your previous strong finishes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>Stop time traveling.
\n<\/strong>The best workouts happen when you\u2019re fully present<\/a> and focused. Resist the urge to think, \u201cAnother bad workout?\u201d or, \u201cWhat if I can\u2019t keep up with the team?\u201d According to Cole, \u201cYou want to refocus back to the now by regulating your inner state.\u201d Let go of distractions or external irritations, like a humid gym environment or annoying people<\/a> in the weight room. If you\u2019re upset and breathing shallow, take three deep breaths, exhaling twice as slowly as you inhale.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Mindfulness for Athletes: The Secret to Better Performance?<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Compartmentalize your thoughts.
\n<\/strong>If relationship troubles are gnawing at you, reassure yourself you\u2019ll return to your ruminating after your workout. The problem will still be there (for better or for worse). \u201cYou\u2019re giving you mind permission to rest,\u201d says Cole. \u201cA workout is a moving meditation<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>Pick the right workout.
\n<\/strong>Sue Rodgers split with her partner of five years a few months ago. When she feels wound up, she plans her Ironman training accordingly. \u201cOn the high stress days, I do certain activities that ground me and clear my head [and] force me to stay focused. So skiing, mountain biking<\/a>, open water<\/a> swimming or trail running<\/a> are good,\u201d says Rodgers, 41, a school health educator from Eastern Canada. \u201cMy toughest workouts when stressed are pool swimming because my head spins too much.\u201d Pick a workout that will force you to put your attention elsewhere.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 10 Yoga Poses to Beat Stress<\/a><\/p>\n

5.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>Know when to take a break.
\n<\/strong>For King, sometimes the best strategy is ditching the gym altogether and finding other ways to take care of herself, such as a healthy dinner out, bubble bath or early bedtime<\/a>. How does she know she needs a rest day? \u201cI get to the gym and the idea of changing into workout clothes seems like the hardest thing I\u2019ve done all day, or I can barely lift my normal weights,\u201d says King, who\u2019s competing in the Miss New York Pageant this June. \u201cThat\u2019s when I know I need to focus on getting my stress down to protect my ability to work out for rest of the week.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Can’t stop stressing about work or personal problems at the gym? Chronic stress could be preventing you from reaping the benefits of a good workout. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":39465,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,12,15],"tags":[159,289,282,341,343],"class_list":["post-39454","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","category-mental-health","category-stress","tag-anxiety","tag-exercise","tag-stress","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2exercise"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39454","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/46"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39454"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39454\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39465"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39454"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39454"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39454"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}