Personal trainer tips: How to overcome stress at work
What’s the biggest cause of stress in your life right now?
Money? Family? Work?
Most stress that we see amongst our personal training clients comes from the pressures at work. Tight deadlines, busy schedules and demanding workloads. There’s no doubt about it, most people are taking on far more than they can chew these days. And it wreaks havoc on people’s health.
When stress levels are high, we secrete a powerful hormone called cortisol. Cortisol helps us to cope with demanding and high adrenaline situations – so it is useful – but it has its downsides. A big influx of cortisol, pushes up your blood sugar levels, leaving you craving foods, feeling low on energy later on, and more likely to gain tummy fat.
Here’s our top tips on coping with work related stress:
Take time out for a gentle walk either side of the working day, or during your lunch break. You may feel like you ‘’don’t have time’’ but it’s important that you make time for this.
When you feel food cravings crank up, switch your biscuit snacking habit for a new habit. This could be getting up from your desk and going for a quick wander to see a colleague, snacking on raw veg so you still get a satisfying stress reducing crunch, or try drinking a cup of hot cocoa (raw cocoa powder mixed with hot water) which releases feel good hormones in the brain that make you feel happy and relaxed.
Stress at work can stop us from sleeping well. Create a wind down routine at night, which may include: limiting time in front of electronics, drinking herbal tea, and doing a 10 minute meditation using an app like Headspace to clear your mind.
Exercise can be a huge stress releaser for many busy professionals, but it can also add an extra layer of physical stress on the body, which studies show can contribute to excess tummy fat. This is why it’s important to get the correct advice from a professional personal trainer so that you can get the right balance of exercise if you are coping with stress. You need the Goldilocks effect – not too much and not too little!
To book a free health and fitness consultation with one of our personal trainers call 0117 403 7600 or email info@efitbristol.co.uk.
