STRENGTH TRAINING MAKES YOU BETTER AT MANAGING MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL STRESS
Exercise is a two-edged sword.
It can protect against stress.
But exercise is also stress.
WHY IT'S VITAL TO (STRENGTH) TRAIN TO REBUILD YOURSELF AFTER STRESS- AND TO BETTER COPE WITH STRESS
The more intense your training is - the less stress hormone you will release after training in response to psychological stressors.
This is a GOOD thing.
It means that you will be less affected by stressful events after an intense workout because your brain now perceives them as less stressful and therefore secretes less cortisol.
[col=#ffffff/In other words, you become better at dealing with mental and emotional stress when you (strength) train regularly]
Heavy strength training in particular (in moderate amounts and duration!) can ensure you have lower stress levels for the rest of the day.
Literally EVERYTHING gets lighter. From shopping bags to mental and emotional burdens.
BUT - and there is a "but"....
YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO TRAIN HARD ENOUGH TO CREATE BOTH A STRESS-REDUCING EFFECT- AND A NOTICEABLE/VISIBLE EFFECT
Here's a slightly technical explanation that I've tried to boil down and make palatable. If you can't handle it, scroll down to the solution.
You need to be able to switch on your sympathetic nervous system to a sufficiently high degree so that you can get a strong enough signal to your muscles and secrete *enough* stress hormone during training to maximise the return on your energy and time investment.
When you activate sympathetic nervous system, you are sending a signal to your body to raise enough "cash" (i.e. mobilise resources) to both overcome the challenge you are facing - and to invest in a rebuilding process that makes you stronger, sharper and more resilient.
If you're NOT able to fully recover mentally or physically, you'll only be able to raise a small investment - which won't necessarily give you a return.
"When we are chronically over-activating the sympathetic nervous system and chattering away our resources..."
...with sleep deprivation, irregular eating habits, too much coffee and sugar, not enough proper real food, chronic cardio, calorie deficit and stimulants - it actually becomes difficult to activate the sympathetic nervous system sufficiently when it really matters.
Because we would prefer to have high sympathetic nervous system activity (and cortisol response) in a peak situation, such as an important performance (or a workout) - and then relatively low cortisol response the rest of the time.
IF WE HAVE CHRONICALLY ELEVATED CORTISOL PRODUCTION ALL THE TIME, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO PEAK WHEN WE NEED TO
And when we don't manage to activate the sympathetic nervous system enough to train with the intensity that has a stress-reducing (and strengthening and remodelling) effect, we need to build up slowly and steadily with training that places other demands on our brain and body than just intensity and duration.
MEET ANNA BOGDANOVA, BEHAVIOURAL DESIGN & TRAINING SPECIALIST
The last 15+ years I have been teaching tens of thousands of Danish women how to etablish and maintain a regular training routine with 5-minute micro-training sessions involving both the brain and muscles, so they can access much more strength, freedom, and energy in their everyday lives.
In my opinion, this highly effective training is the most important investment in your future.
At the moment, I am preparing my first international program, so make sure to stay tuned.