Stress Can Be a Fitness Killer

I am not a fan of stress and how it can make me feel. Unfortunately, stress is part of the life package deal with no opting out button. Stress can become a chronic ugly thing with negative physical and emotional side effects. Studies are also linking stress to hypertension, heart disease, and weight gain. Who the heck wants a whole bunch of extra fat with the heart attack waiting to happen sign sitting on our stressed out shoulders?

So many of us are living in a constant state of stress whether from family problems, illness, financial strain, or unhappy marriages and are accepting it as our normal way of life. Stress places wear and tear on our body as cortisol is leaking out of the adrenal glands in abundance and causing increased blood pressure and waistlines. Stress, straight up is a fitness killer. I for one refuse to live in a constant state of stress and do implement healthy strategies to eliminate it from my life.

The way stress is handled is the answer to maintaining our health and fitness. Some use stressful situations to make excuses to eat crappy, give up on themselves, and have a bitter resentful attitude about life. This of course leads to all that "comfort food" over-eating, no exercise, and blaming everyone for self-induced problems. Chronic stress behaviors like this lead to the ultimate fitness killer and eventual body riddled with illness and unhappiness. Stress can be either out of our control which we need to learn to let go, or fixable.

"Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond to it." I love this true statement and live this philosophy to reduce stress and maintain my fit and healthy life. Learning to let go and remove stresses not within our control is important to healthy boundaries and improving the quality of our life. Also, reviewing our priorities and eliminating things creating a "too busy" life will make for a happier, healthier you. Focusing on how to become a better you is the only thing that falls under the "fixable stress" category. We tend to put undue stress on ourselves and from un-meaningful things in life. Who cares what others are thinking, saying or even doing that may be about you? Learning to let go, walk away from unimportant things, and picking up positive growth from the stresses in life will create a stronger, healthier person.

I enjoy a great workout when I feel stressed or anxious and use it as "cheap man's" therapy for self improvement. God and I have pretty good talks during that time as well and usually within that sweaty hour, I have put the stress behind me and ready to move on with a positive day. I also do not reach for "junk" food to comfort me or fill some sort of empty void during times of stress. I am a mindful eater and think before throwing just anything in my face. My body, mind, and spirit are worthy of more than trash in the form of food or a bitter attitude. I also like to deep breathe during my stretch time and contemplate everything about life. I choose to be happy and healthy and that calls for action and choices to respond to stress in a healthy way.

Read my recent article "Is Stress and Cortisol Making You Fat" on the about.com network for great information on how stress contributes to increased fat.