4 Health Habits to Ditch Stress: Part 4 – Exercise

Let’s talk exercise and stress!

Flashback: Remember a couple of blogs ago when I chatted with you about stress as it relates to your gut health? Today I want to tie exercise into the stress equation. Why?

Because exercise is good for your gut’s microbiome!

We all know exercise is good for us, but it’s more complex than simply needing to do more of it (or, at least, knowing we need more). Currently, a LACK of exercise in the U.S. results in $76 billion dollars in medical costs each year.

That tells me that the “knowing” part isn’t enough; it’s not an incentive to get moving. So, we need a little (or a lot?) of motivation to start a new health routine. It takes time to rewire our brains.

Let me tell you a little more about how exercise, stress, and your gut are all interrelated…

You want a diverse gut microbiome.

Why?

Because a lack of diversity = a lot of current health ailments that many of us suffer from.

Exercise has been shown to give you a more diverse gut microbiome, regardless of what you’re eating (Rossi, 2006). I’m not saying you should ditch a nourishing diet, BUT you can find confidence in knowing that regular movement is improving your gut!

Regularly exercising your body will…

Increase metabolic rate (hello, better/faster metabolism)
Enhance/balance your body’s immunity (less sick days, thankyouverymuch)
Promote a more positive outlook (we could all use more positivity)
Reduce stress, anxiety, and depression
Decrease fatigue while facilitating better sleep (yes, please)
Reduces constipation and improves IBS (praise!)
Improves pain and makes your body feel better

But here’s the thing to look at…

Do you find yourself in a cycle of “hitting it hard” for a few weeks and then burning out (maybe because you set unrealistic exercise routine expectations, or maybe you forced yourself into exercise you didn’t enjoy?).

This type of pattern does NOT benefit your gut microbiome.

Sustained (habitual, regular, routine) exercise is what gives you that diverse gut microbiome. This, in turn, helps you better handle all of the stress life throws at you (both physically and mentally).

How much should you be exercising?

In general, 30-45 minutes of light to moderate exercise each day can improve your well-being, mood, and gut health.

Gut microbiomes are just like exercise – as long as you move your body often, getting your heart rate up for 30 minutes most days, you’ll meet your body’s needs.

What types of exercise should you be doing?

Here’s a surprise…I don’t have an answer for you on this one. But you do!

YOUR exercise needs, preferred activities, and goals should all be tailored specifically to YOU.

What type of exercise is best if you’re feeling stressed out, or if you’re trying to heal, balance your life with exercise?

Stick to HIIT cardio, yoga, and/or walking (be gentle with yourself).

Listen to your body. It often sends you warning signs if you are overdoing it. I recommend starting with moderate intensity if you are currently sedentary, and then building up.

If you push yourself with long periods of cardio (endurance-style training), you may do more harm than good AND you might increase stress by keeping your cortisol levels high.

Excessive exercise can contribute to a leaky gut (aka, things from your intestines that you don’t want getting out, do – and we do not want this).

Here are my steps for being healthy while you exercise and fight stress:

Write down a list of exercises you like. Simply put, do what you love! List activities you want to show up for every day — because it makes you feel good, and not because you want to achieve a certain aesthetic or check a box.
Consider yoga if you haven’t before. Here’s why: yoga increases blood flow to your digestive tract and helps make it more efficient, plus helps create more effective elimination. It is also calming, and I don’t know about you, but I could use all the calm I can get.
Focus on your core. A strong core can benefit digestive health (remember, healthy gut, healthy brain). Try doing core exercises every other day.
Above ALL else, just keep moving…Think regular exercise, regular energy flow.
Be consistent. Consistency is always better than perfection!

Final step/tip: Give yourself time and grace to shape your new habits. Start off with small, manageable goals. Once the step/goal feels easy, add on to it.

**Important note: If you are confused about your current exercise program, seek out an exercise physiologist or a certified personal trainer. Invest in them to help you design and monitor your ideal exercise program. If you have health conditions that may be affected by moderate exercise (think: heart disease) consult with your physician before starting any new exercise program.

If you have questions, send me a message on social media or just shoot me an email! I love getting your questions because if YOU have the question, so does someone else. I’ll reply back in a general update on one of my social accounts (be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram to hear the response!).

References:

Rossi, Megan MD. (2006) Eat Yourself Healthy – An Easy-to-Digest Guide to Health and Happiness from the Inside Out.