Adjusting Workouts for Stress
The key to getting the most out of your workouts is in how well you manage your overall stress
This doesn't just mean how stressed we feel on the surface, it means being aware of, and paying attention to, the variety of stressors we are exposed to on a regular basis (i.e.- work, family, finances, physical stress, life with a new baby, or one on the way, etc.).
While you may not feel "stressed out" on the surface, we usually get it the worst when we find ourselves going through things on autopilot while we push any signs of too much stress under the rug. After awhile of this slow build up in excess stress, our body will eventually break down and suppress our immune system, thus making us more vulnerable to getting sick. Ain't nobody got time for that!
So, when you are feeling stressed, tired, or just short on time - don't let the internal anxiety of deciding to get a workout or not drag you down. And remember, you should always feel better after exercising than you did before!
Here are a few things to consider adjusting to help you better manage workout stress
Continue the habit - If you're thinking about cutting your workout entirely, change your mindset! Just because you can't do what's planned or what you want for that day, doesn't mean you can't do something that will make you feel better.
Turn 'work' into play - Get into the gym and do what feels good. Stimulating muscles and increasing bloodflow creates a variety of physiological reactions that boost our immune system. We were designed to move and it is a key part of keeping us healthy. Don't get too caught up feeling like you have to do structured exercise, just get moving and have fun with it!
More is not always better - Sometimes the best thing you can do is cut your volume down. Workouts don't need to be a beat down, sometimes all we need is the stimulus of moving with a little intensity to get our body going!
Try doing 50% of your normal repetitions. So, if you are currently doing 4 working sets of 12 reps, cut it down to 4 sets of 6 or 2 sets of 12. You should consider increasing your load if you're cutting your volume, it's important to find a balance between volume and load that works best for your body and situation.
Focus on quality - Form always comes first and the best way to do something fast is to be able to do it slow, try slowing down to really zone in on how well you are performing a movement. That extra level of detail and focus is usually surprisingly challenging.
Duration and intensity - Cutting down on your total workout times and doing short bouts of high intensity exercise can actually reduce stress. Just be sure you're including rest breaks that are long enough to allow for a full recovery between sets if this is the route you take.
Keep it simple - Too complex of movements, or to much variety of movements, can add more mental stress to a workout. Get more bang for your buck with compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, lunges, pushing, pulling, twisting, carries, or walking/running.
~The Evexia Coaching Team
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