Have you ever been stressed out? That's a silly question. Sure you have. Especially if you have kids. :) Everyday something in our lives will stress us out. Work, home, or school in particular. But did you know that stress can effect the entire body? Yeah, not just make you irritable, tired or anxious, your entire body! Stress can effect your Central nervous and endocrine systems, respiratory and cardiovascular system, digestive system, muscular system, and even your sexuality and reproductive systems!
You central nervous system is where that "fight or flight" aspect is triggered. This is what get's your hypothalamus in gear, triggering the adrenal glands to release adrenaline or cortisol. If you remain under constant stress, your cortisol levels could stay elevated, which could led to weight gain, higher blood pressure and cholesterol just to name a few. Your immune system is also affected, as heightened cortisol levels can inhibit other compounds in the body that help fight off diseases, viruses, and infections.
Your respiratory and cardiovascular levels increase. One making you breathe harder to pump more oxygen into the blood, and the other pumping your heart faster to help distribute that blood and oxygen to the brain and the rest of the body. Constant stress keeps these levels elevated, which could lead to hypertension and problems with blood vessels.
Within your digestive system, under stress, your liver produces extra blood sugar to give you a boost of energy. Unused blood sugar gets reabsorbed back into the body. If under a lot of stress, your body may not be able to keep up with the blood sugar surge, which could potentially place you at a higher risk of contracting type 2 diabetes.
Under stress, your muscles tighten up as a way to protect themselves. IF you are under chronic stress, your muscles never have a chance to relax. Over time, this could lead to frequent headaches or back pain, sending you in a downward spiral that could only become worse if not treated and identified.
Your sexual desires may be reduced with chronic stress. Stress is very tiring on the body and mind. In some cases, men may have an increase in testosterone during stress, which can increase sexual arousal, but generally only for a short time. In women, stress can effect their menstrual cycle, making it even more uncomfortable.
So what can you do to help reduce stress in your life? First, you can eat right and exercise. Kickboxing, sparring, or any simulated fighting is great. Aerobic exercise like running, swimming, or high intensity cardio routines works well too. Anything to reduce the levels of cortisol in the body.
Meditation. Any type of mediation or relaxation techniques will help calm ones self and reduce cortisol levels. Set aside 10-15 minutes a day to just relax, breathe, and let no distractions in. Some of the newer training devices like FitBit or Polar have breathing techniques you can try.
Music. There is something about music that soothes the soul. You probably don't want to be blasting Pantera or Metallica. But hey, who am I to judge. maybe that works for you. I prefer Lindsey Stirling or The Piano Guys
And of course, laughter. Having a good laugh with your friends or family can reduce those cortisol levels and help you relax just a little more.
What do you do to relax?
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