1 minute read

WHEN WORKOUTS

Next Article
RAISING

RAISING

When Workouts Don’t Work Why L ess I s Sometimes More

Exerciseis aproven componentinlosing weightand preventing cardiovascular diseaseanddiabetes,butnotall exerciseregimens yieldthesame resultsforeveryone,especially whendailystress isafactor.While workoutsareoften intendedtoreducethebody’sphysiologicalresponsetomentalandemotional stress,exerciseitselfcanserveasaphysicalstressorthatexacerbatestheproblem. Thisdelicatebalancerevolvesaroundthe stresshormonecortisol. Whilecortisolisneededtokickstartmetabolismandburnfat,toomuch ofitcanincreasethebody’sfatstores. StephanieMansour,hostofStep It Up With Steph,aweeklyTVfitnessprogram inChicago,seesthiscorrelationinher privatepracticeforwomen.“Aggressive workoutsdefinitelyperpetuatestress,and aren’talwaysnecessaryforweightloss.If oneofmyclientsisstressed-out,sleepdeprived,overworkedanddoingintense workoutsbutnotseeingweight-lossresults,that’sasignalthatcortisolispotentiallytoohighandneedstobeaddressed.” Fat-burning,high-intensityinterval training(HIIT)—burstsofexercisewith minimalperiodsofrestinbetween— raiseslevelsofcortisol. Thesetendto decreaseafteraworkout,butcanremain by Marlaina Donato

Advertisement

onoverdrive ifHIITisnot balancedwith low-intensity movement. Add jam-packed schedulesto themix,and thesideeffects ofchronically elevatedcortisol resultnotonlyin longerrecovery time,butinsomnia,fatigue,low immunityandfailuretoloseweight,especiallyaroundthe midsection—aphenomenonthathas earnedcortisolthenickname“thebelly fathormone”. BalancingHIITwithyoga,Pilates, ellipticaltraining,swimmingorwalking canhelptoresetthenervoussystemand bringtherestofthebodybackuptospeed. Cortisol-Conscious Workouts Mansourworkswithanaturopaththat analyzesherclients’cortisolandother hormonelevels.“Oneofthefirstthingswe focusonishelpingthebodymoveintothe parasympatheticnervoussystemandoutof thefight-or-flightstressresponse.Oneway wedothisisbyshiftingintomorerelaxed workouts—gentleyoga,beginners’Pilates class,lightcardioorlightstrengthtraining.” FitnessexpertBethShawchoseazealousapproachinherownexerciseregimen untilhighcortisollevelsunraveledherhealth. ThefounderofYogaFit,ayogateachertrainingprogramheadquarteredinToronto,she The key is to not overtrain and to do just enough to adequately stimulate the system. ~Beth Shaw

emphasizesmoderation.“Thekeyistonot overtrainandtodojustenoughtoadequately stimulatethesystem.”Sherecommends30-to 45-minutecardiosessionsandnolongerthan 45minutesforweights.“Endorphinrelease fromthesetwotypesofexercisesshould offsetanyreleaseincortisol.” Whenweexercisemaybeasimportanttoachievingweightlossandenhancingoverallenergyasthetypeofworkout wechoose,afactorbasedoncircadian rhythm—thebody’sbiologicalclock.There aresomeschoolsofthoughtthatcortisolis higherinthemorning,andthereforethis isthebesttimetoexercise,saysMansour, whileothersbelieveweshouldtargetthe mid-afternoonslump.“Iadvisemyclientsto pickatimethatsimplyfeelsgoodtothem.”

Mixing It Up Hoppingonabike,goingforabriskwalkor catchingthewavesonasurfboardcanprovideagreatlow-intensity,steady-state(LISS) cardiovascularworkout,whichaimsforalow levelofexertionforalong,continuousperiod. Repetitivemotionfor30to45minutesnot onlyhelpstobalancecortisollevels,butaccordingtoa2014Australianstudypublished intheJournal of Obesity,itevensoutfatdistributioninoverweightindividuals.LISSalso nudgesthebodytousefatasfuel,ratherthan takingvaluableglycogenfromthemuscles. YogaandPilatesclasses,thoughdistinctlydifferent,offervaluablebenefits.“If cortisolbacklashisanissue,youdefinitely wanttoworkwithsomeonewhoknows theanatomyandphysiologyofbreathing,”saysToriBrown,ownerofThePilates Room&AntigravityStudio,inIthaca, NewYork.“Bylearningproperbreathing techniques,practitionersareabletodownregulatethenervoussystemintoamore parasympatheticstate,whichleadstobetterfocus,lowerheartrate,betterdigestion, moreoptimalcortisollevelsandimproved sleeppatterns.Allofthisleadstomore focusedworkoutsthatbuildmusclewhile creatinglessstressonthenervoussystem.” Mansoursuggestssimplewalkingfor stress-bustingalternativecardio.“Brisk walkingthreetimesaweekfor20to30 minutesisgreattohelpreducestress.”

This article is from: