The ever-interesting Vreni Gurd posted the other day on trusted.md about exercise intensity and overtraining, making the point that if you are highly stressed in your life and, as a result, not in great health, a high-intensity workout at the gym may not be what your body needs.
When we are stressed, our bodies prepare for fight or flight, moving blood flow from the central organs out to the limbs and flooding the bloodstream with various chemicals aimed at giving quick energy and protection against damage and infection. Because this is a preparation for physical activity (even if the stress is mental or social), physical activity is a good way of discharging this preparedness, which is why going for a walk when you are angry or upset can help you to calm down.
However, what Vreni is suggesting is that when you are chronically stressed and your body has been bathing in stress chemicals long-term, vigorous exercise may not be the best way to go. We have two parts to our nervous system, the sympathetic and parasympathetic. The first is activated by stress, the second by relaxation. What people who are highly stressed need is an exercise – mental or, better yet, physical – which activates the parasympathetic system, such as yoga. Once you have achieved more balance in your life, you can start to do the vigorous exercise which builds up your body’s strength and stamina.
Related posts:
- 7 benefits of exercise I can believe inWhen I was at school, I was a skinny nerd....
- Review: Steven Aitchison’s Advanced Early Riser programThis is the first of what I hope will be...