Stress; it’s a seemingly normal phenomenon these days, but was it always this way?

I often enjoy visualising how things must have been a long, long time ago.

Our physically robust distant ancestors, running around hunting woolly mammoths and returning home to devour meat straight off the bone over a fire with the rest of the clan, ex­changing hearty grunts and tales of hunting glory.

Back then, life or death situations must have been a dime a dozen. One false move on a hunt could leave our un­suspecting fore­fathers fatally injured.

In stressful situations our ancestors were wired to enter a state called ‘fight or flight’.

When separated from the group and cornered by a furious saber-tooth tiger with no interest in becoming someone’s dinner, the primal hunter would ex­perience a surge of adrenaline, primed to execute one of only two remaining choices – run away and flee if possible, or go down fighting for his life.

One of the problems we face today in this confusing modern world of ours is that we still seem to be wired in this way.

When confronted with stressful situations we still feel adrenaline surges, but unfortunately, an extortionate telephone bill is not something we can run away from, or fight. An argument with the boss or spouse is not something we can run away from either, and physical fighting would only make things a whole lot worse, perhaps even represent a one-way ticket to a prison cell.

We don’t fight or flee, so short of the undesirable option of banging our heads against the wall, we are left with circulating stress hormones, perhaps one of the reasons for the residual anxiety and tension so many of us seem to carry around with us.

An overly simplistic view perhaps, but whatever the cause of modern-day stress, one thing is for sure; it is not a something to be taken lightly.

An increasing number of studies are linking the effects of stress to dire health outcomes, and along with poor eating habits, lack of physical activity and excessive consumption of alcohol or smoking, stress is considered one of the major lifestyle components with negative effects on health.

The good news is that we know physical exercise is a great way to relieve stress.

Studies have even favourably compared its effects to popular anti-anxiety medi­ca­tions, and physical activity is being increasingly prescribed to patients suffering from chronic stress and some forms of mental illness. Provided we have medical clearance to exercise, this could be one of the cheapest and most enjoyable forms of treatment.

As a good friend of mine often suggests in response to a range of unpleasant situations: “Go for a run”, or “Walk it off”. He isn’t at all that far from the truth.

Stress hormones, like adrena­line, are designed to facilitate a burst of physical activity.

Muscles become engorged with blood, and the central nervous system is ‘switched on’, ready for a physical response. We need to provide our bodies with that physical response, and this is precisely the function that a walk or light workout serves.

Exercise also helps combat stress hormones by triggering the release of endorphins, which kill pain and cause feelings of happiness and security

So if you’re feeling the strain of the daily grind, get some exercise, however simple it may be, or talk to a fitness professional for advice.

Ironically, exercise itself is a type of stress. Just like the stress of ultraviolet sunlight raining down on our skin during summer time, exercise places stress on the various body systems. Skin adapts by increasing pigmen­tation and tanning, a sort of self-defence mechanism, while our bodies in turn adapt to the stress of exercise by growing stronger muscles and more efficient cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

The trick is keeping the stress at precisely the right dosage. Too much, and you get burned, too little, and there is not enough of it to trigger the natural adaptive capabilities of the body.

This is where a well-thought-out and balanced exercise pro­gramme comes in. Start small and gradually increase over time in small incremental steps.

Exercise also helps combat the circulation of stress hormones by triggering the release of op­posing hormones called en­dor­phins, which are chemi­cally related to morphine, killing pain and causing feelings of happi­ness and security.

So without further ado, let’s have a look at some of the most popular options available to us for combating stress.

Yoga. This ancient practice not only mobilises the major joints and muscles of the body, but it can teach us the art of controlled breathing and relaxation.

The roots of yoga can be traced back to the spiritual practice of meditation, which could have positive influences on our out­look on life all together, stem­ming the build-up of stress in the first place.

Weight training. This type of training has the additional bene­fit of improving the aes­thetic ap­pearance of the body, which in turn may lead to an increase in self-confidence and self-esteem. A basic weight training pro­gramme performed twice or three times per week is enough to start reaping the benefits, and has also been shown to increase the production of other feel-good hormones like testosterone.

And finally, my personal favourite, boxing fitness training. A simple circuit of boxing-related exercises under pro­fessional guidance, including some form of punching using focus mitts or a punching bag, and some running, is a major form of stress relief applicable to many character types. You can both ‘fight and flee’ all in the same workout.

matthew.muscat.inglott@mcast.edu.mt

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