T h e Stress
FACTOR
If running off a bad day is your therapy, read on
T
he washing machine’s stopped mid-cycle, the kids post-party sugar hit is kicking in and your in-laws are due within the hour. Although your first thought might be to scream into the nearest pillow, lacing up and hitting the gym might be a more effective solution according to experts. Raising your ever-increasing heart rate is be the last thing you’d imagine to be good for you, but it will trigger those feel-good chemicals according to personal trainer and nutritionist Tom Oliver. “Working out will naturally release endorphins making you feel relaxed and positive. It is important to always listen to your body and how you feel – when you’re feeling drained, a 10-minute walk can be just as successful as a 45-minute HITT workout. Getting your body moving will force
you to concentrate on something else which will distract you from what originally made you anxious,” he says. A little bit of stress may be easily managed with a few aggression-induced strides, but could it cross over into dangerous territory? YF finds out…
THE END OF YOUR TETHER
Whether it spurs you on or has you crumbling at the first sign of it, stress can affect us all in different ways. But is there a right way? “Stress triggers a hormonal response in our body, increasing our levels of cortisol (the fight or flight hormone),” Chris Magee, head of yoga at Another Space (anotherspace.london) says. “From a yoga
perspective, I always relate it back to the mind-body connection. Stress in your mind can translate into negative muscular tension in your body, meaning that after the activity is over and the body wants to relax – it actually can’t. This is where movement can aid the process.” As stress hormones course through our veins it can lead to headaches, muscular pain and fatigue – hardly the ingredients for a personal best, right? “Feeling the pressure is a dangerous emotion, as it can affect us both physically and mentally,” Emma Frain, head of fitness at
“Stress in your mind can translate into negative muscular tension in your body, meaning that after the activity is over and the body wants to relax – it actually can’t”
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22/09/2017 14:16