Exercise & Stress: The Good and Bad


Oct 6, 2022

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You pressed snooze too many times this morning and you're now running late to the gym. You realize your shirt is on inside out and you forgot your water bottle. You have a big presentation at work today, not to mention the house is a mess and you have friends coming over tonight. You forgot to meal prep for lunch and only grabbed a bar on your way out the door. You have a massive pimple on your forehead and forgot to put deodorant on this morning. 

Well, my friend. We call that STRESS. It's inevitable. We all experience it. But, how you are able to better manage it is the key to waking up with less on your shoulders (and maybe your shirt on right). 


So, you now have one hour to “de-stress” in your workout, but all you can think about is how stressed you are. Isn’t physical activity suppose to help your stress? Well, yes; exercise produces endorphins - the feel-good chemicals in the brain that act as a natural coping mechanism for pain and stress. These hormones also help to promote restful sleep, in turn further reducing stress. But what's more important: sleeping in and missing your workout to get a few extra ZZZ’s or fewer ZZZ’s and getting your sweat on? 

Before I dive further into this question, lets first investigate what causes stress. 

Well, almost ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. We all handle stressful situations differently and it all comes down to two things:

  1. How you respond to said stress
  2. How you perceive said stress. 

I’d like you to get out a piece of paper, the notes on your phone or simply just think using that brain of yours. Write down the top stressors in your life. This may be work, relationships, finances, food, fitness, sleep, the news, social media, etc. Remember the goal isn’t “no stress,” but rather “know your stress.” 

Start by picking one that you feel you can focus on and change. So, let's say you pick exercise. Now that you have identified what is a stressor for you, how can you reduce the level of stress it adds to your life? If you're stressing over how to simply start exercising, what's the easiest first step you can take right now? For some, this may be committing to walking five minutes each day and for others, this may be hiring a trainer so they no longer have to think about what they need to do other than just show up. They key here is to focus on making one small baby step at a time.


Let's dive into two main stressors many people experience...

1. FOOD: Do you often try to manage stress and just end up eating, then you stress out even more because of what or how much you ate? First and foremost, this is never something you should be ashamed of. There are times in your life where eating in response to stress may actually make you feel better (like the best pint of ice cream ever), and then there are times it can make you feel worse. Here are a few tips to think about if food may be a frequent source of stress for you:

  • Eat nourishing food: Did you know certain nutrients can actually help to manage feelings of anxiety and stress? Here are some examples of nutrients with anti-inflammatory properties and food sources they can be found in:

          Magnesium: almonds, avocados, black beans, buckwheat 

          Zinc: hemp seeds. legumes, cashews

          Antioxidants: berries, turmeric, green apples, artichokes

          Omega 3: walnuts, chia seeds, sardines

  • Limit caffeine and alcohol: Hear me out! Although we all love a warm cup of coffee after a morning workout or a nice glass of wine after work, alcohol and caffeine can actually heighten your sense of anxiety and stress and, even worse, can have negative impacts on your circadian rhythym. Caffeine can leave you feeling extra sensitive to external stimuli (light, sound, touch, etc. - hello jitters), so try to keep your intake under 200 mg per day. Alcohol can certainly bring us joy at times, but it also weakens our immune response and depletes us of the nutrients we need to help cope with stress. It can also lead to poor sleep and an increased and irrational appetite (sometimes for many days) which then leaves us feeling even more stressed.
  • Be mindful: Now this is a hard one, but we can all benefit from it. Before eating your meal, whether it's a home-cooked meal, take-out or a frozen entree, remove all distractions from the environment you're dining in. Turn off the TV, put your phone away, and focus only on the meal that is in front of you. Take 20-30 minutes to thoroughly enjoy your food without any outside stressors distracting you. This will not only help you to stay connected with your body's hunger cues (knowing when you're full or still hungry), but this will also help you to better digest and absorb the nutrients in your meal by preventing you from eating too much too fast. 

2. THE DILEMMA: EXERCISE & SLEEP: Verve is great, we know. You want to be here every morning whether you got a restful sleep or not. But, sometimes choosing the latter will actually be more beneficial in the long run. Coming into the gym already running on empty does more harm than good, making you more susceptible to injury, impaired recovery, hindered progress, brain fog and decreased energy. 

Ask yourself this question: How would it feel to do one less day of HIIT or strength training and instead take a walk in nature?

Don’t want to miss a single day at Verve? We get it, so let's compromise:

Can you go to bed 30 minutes earlier?

Can you set a time limit on social media and TV before bed?

Have you tried a sleep machine like Hatch or a relaxing app like Calm or Headspace?

Making minor adjustments your nighttime routine can help you break bad habits in the evening and create better ones over time to help you achieve a restful night sleep. 

Control what you can control so that stress doesn’t consume your life. Need more help controlling those stressors? If you're already apart of the Verve community, sign up for a Goal Review Session with one of our coaches (or a free No-Sweat Intro for non-members) so we can help map out a stress management plan around a healthy balanced lifestyle so you can get back to enjoying all the things you love to do!