Stress happens when we anticipate a challenge or a threat. When we are nervous or alarmed, the body releases stress-related hormones. These circulate the body and prepare the body for action by making us alert and vigilant.
With common knowledge of heart disease and high blood pressure, it is tempting to conclude that stress is bad. After all, it changes bodily function in ways that cause problems long-term, and how could immune suppression ever be a benefit?
The truth is that some level of stress is healthy, natural, and necessary for your health.
Stress prepares us for physical activity by priming the heart, blood vessels, and muscles for movement. Exercise helps to reverse the stress response by triggering a calming and relaxing bodily sensation after the workout. This eases the symptoms of depression, too. Plus, repeated workouts improve fitness, resulting in a lower stress perception overall and enhanced immune function.
Unfortunately, when we feel stress, most of us remain sedentary.
Without the coping mechanisms to reverse the stress response, many develop a chronic condition that lasts weeks to months. A sustained experience of feeling threatened is a risk factor for anxious depression.
We use those stress hormones for their intended purpose when we move our bodies through exercise. For example, higher blood sugar can help to fuel your exercise session. Working muscles will pull in sugars as needed and your brain cells will use them for remaining focus during the workout.
The higher heart rate and blood pressure that comes with stress can actually support an effective warm-up for your workout. And those annoying pit stains and sweaty palms can become cooling elements as your body temperature rises during exercise.
Heart-thumping high-intensity workouts are effective for stress relief, but even a short slow walk can help you hit the reset button. It doesn’t have to be grueling! The key is to select a movement you enjoy, so that you can repeat it regularly until it become part of your lifestyle.
Most are sedentary in the United States. Active individuals have better blood sugar on average because insulin sensitivity improves for hours after we exercise. Because of this, working out is considered a key lifestyle habit for those with high blood sugar.
What other things can we do to shift out of the stress response? Another movement-related approach is paced breathing. As practiced by Navy Seals, breathwork adjusts your focus to the here and now. This is the process of controlling your inhales and exhales, and it involves movements (your respiratory muscles) that helps you relax in minutes.
You may be wondering, what about blood sugar control? Can paced breathing help? Early studies say yes, to some degree. For instance, a 2021 study in type 2 diabetics showed that paced breathing practices improved blood sugar control (as shown by a significant HbA1c reduction).
Paced breathing exercises work because the brain interprets slower exhales as a sign of safety. Still interested in understanding how and why breathwork is effective? Check out a recent Treo webinar on the topic where you can try breathwork starting at minute 21.
As Treo’s Global Wellness Researcher, Karlie uses recent research findings to support healthier daily habits. Karlie earned her doctorate in Neuroscience and Behavior and bachelors in Health and Exercise Science.
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