Stress Overview<\/h3>\n
Your mind and body<\/a> feed off of one another, working together to keep you both physically and mentally healthy. Exercise is a common and very beneficial stress relieving aid for being active works to boost endorphins to make you feel good (1<\/a>).<\/p>\n Along with that, knowing you are actively building muscle mass<\/a> or improving your cardio<\/a> can really enhance confidence and self-image, thus improving your mood and allowing you to relax and start to settle those stressful thoughts.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, stress can work against us at times and although we may embark on our fitness journey as best we can, the effects of stress can negatively impact our workouts<\/strong>. As a serious de-motivator, it can be hard to lace up our shoes and go for even a short run, let alone a high intensity workout<\/a>, so learning to manage stress as best we can goes a long way in improving all aspects of our fitness goals.<\/p>\n There are a lot of negative effects of stress on your body, so let’s take a look at some.<\/p>\n Recovery<\/a> is an essential part of seeing big gains and overall growth, as this is where the muscle repairs bigger and stronger. Being overly stressed can make for a longer time to recover. When you are left feeling tired and sore, your muscles will not have a chance to repair themselves (2<\/a>).<\/p>\n A lack of recovery not only leaves you feeling fatigued, but it also increases your risk of injury<\/a> potentially putting you out of the gym. Hydrating is key and adding in a good supplement like a whey protein<\/a> can aid recovery but also ensure you get enough sleep<\/a> so your muscles have time to fully recover. Sleep is actually where your body generates the most human growth hormone<\/a> and testosterone<\/a>, which are both crucial muscle building hormones.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n When you are stressed, your muscles tense up to protect against injury, and if not properly recovered, ironically this can lead to unfortunate injury and pain. With tight muscles, your room to grow is seriously diminished and if you are in a constant state of stress, your muscles never truly get a chance to relax. This can also affect posture<\/a> and trigger increased levels of cortisol, which triggers a fight or flight response leaving you in a continued state of tension.<\/p>\n Working with a physical therapist or getting a massage can really help relieve a lot of this tension. Massage guns<\/a> are also great at-home muscle relieving tools.<\/p>\n Stress forces your mind to wander and that loss of focus just makes you feel as if you are going through the motions. Working on mind-muscle connection in the gym will help you see growth and if a lack of concentration is present, you won\u2019t perform to full potential.<\/p>\n Poor concentration also makes it easier for mistakes to occur with form and technique<\/a>, also increasing your risk of injury. Yoga and other forms of meditation are healthy ways to really gain clarity when it comes to boosting your concentration and focus.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve all experienced an unfortunate binge<\/a> when we are stressed. That is the result of a hormone called cortisol which is considered the \u201cstress hormone\u201d but also performs functions like aiding metabolism<\/a>, increasing blood sugar, and modulating the immune system<\/a> (3<\/a>). Cortisol can increase your cravings for more sugary foods and mix that with a stressed out person, it leads to binge eating causing an increase in your caloric intake<\/a> and unfortunate weight gain.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n![\"stress\"](\"https:\/\/generationiron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/1-27.jpg\")
<\/p>\nNegative Effects Of Stress<\/h3>\n
Hinders Recovery<\/h4>\n
Increases Muscle Tension<\/h4>\n
![\"stress\"](\"https:\/\/generationiron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/2-19.jpg\")
<\/p>\nAffects Concentration<\/h4>\n
Increases Appetite and Body Fat<\/h4>\n