The
prevailing mindset in western culture today seems to be, “If a little
bit of something is good for us, then a whole lot of it would be even
better!” Unfortunately when it comes to exercise, subscribing to this attitude can result in fitness frustration.
When embarking on a new exercise program – whether it be to lose weight, have more energy, build muscle, improve balance or all of the above – the very first thing you (or your trainer) should consider is what you do outside of the gym on a daily basis.
The amount of stress you encounter in your daily life has a direct impact on your mental, physical and emotional well-being. Our bodies have evolved to be capable of dealing with intermittent stress; this would be getting chased up a tree by a hungry saber-toothed tiger.
We are not well suited for unrelenting stress, such as worrying about money troubles or being stuck in rush hour traffic 5 days a week.
This type of “modern stress” causes a constant over secretion of the catabolic (breaking down) hormone cortisol from your adrenal glands. Cortisol is essential for life, but too much over time can cause a whole host of health problems such as body fat storage (especially around the abdomen), insulin insensitivity, muscle breakdown, immune suppression, loss of libido and insomnia.
The addition of too much exercise at this time simply compounds the problem because your body perceives it as just another source of stress. This will further tax your adrenal glands, which can eventually lead to adrenal insufficiency characterized by chronic fatigue, digestive disturbances, brain fog, anxiety and/or depression.
Before I design an exercise program for my clients, I make certain to thoroughly evaluate their daily levels of stress by grading them in the following areas:
1. Personal relationships
2. Job satisfaction
3. Nutritional habits
4. Sleep habits
5. Medications
6. Digestive health
7. Alcohol consumption
8. Chemical exposure load
9. Physical activity
The higher the overall stress score in these areas, the less exercise should be prescribed. It’s amazing to watch someone who is frustrated by a lack of progress in the gym (despite working out for 2 hours a day, 5 days a week) cut back to 40-minute workouts 3 times per week and finally reach their fitness goals.
For individuals who have significant amounts of daily stress in their lives and are failing to achieve their fitness goals, switching gears away from lengthy workouts to less strenuous activities may be just the remedy. Excellent substitutes are walking, QiGong, Tai Chi, Hatha Yoga and simple body weight exercises.
So if you feel as though you’re just spinning your wheels at the gym, I recommend that you slow down, take a break and make this your new mindset: “Less is more!”
Jason Simpkins is a wellness coach. Practicing
a "whole person" approach to wellness, Jason coaches each individual he
works with to develop total health from the inside out. He is also the Co-Founder of The Healing Canopy. He can be
contacted at 
