Throughout the UK, personal trainers are helping working professionals understand the tightly linked relationship between the stress hormone, Cortisol, and obesity. Managing its effects can go far in our efforts to lose weight if we just take better control of the stress in our lives.
Raise your hand if you’re fighting a battle on two fronts: managing chronic stress and trying to lose weight…at the same time. If you can relate to this scenario, you’re not alone.
A recent study revealed that 3 out of 4 adults in the UK have felt so terribly stressed at some point over the past year that they’ve found themselves struggling to cope. Making matters even more challenging, nearly two thirds of Brits today are having to deal with excessive weight or are clinically obese.
Fortunately, personal trainers are helping clients win this two-front war by highlighting the damaging effects of having too much Cortisol in our bodies. As one Canary Wharf personal trainer stated, “stress management should be one of your top priorities if you’re hoping to lose weight.”
The first step in managing stress is to understand how our bodies react to the body’s stress hormone, Cortisol.
What is Cortisol?
Also commonly known as the “stress hormone,” Cortisol is produced by our adrenal glands. In the strictest sense, it is a steroid hormone that plays a major role in regulating our metabolism, including having a dominant effect on blood sugar levels and our sleep/wake cycle (more on that in a moment).
Too Much Stress Leads to a Surge in Cortisol
Let’s take a deep dive into the science of “stress.” Whenever our brain senses a threat, our pituitary and hypothalamus glands are put on high alert. Biochemically speaking, it’s a sequence of events triggering our adrenal glands to release more Cortisol. As these levels are elevated, our bodies release more glucose into our bloodstream, ensuring that we have an ample amount of “fuel” to either confront or evade any perceived threats. In other words, Cortisol fuels our body for “fight or flight” responses.
Before we start throwing shade on our body’s stress management processes, it’s important to point out that Cortisol isn’t all bad. One personal trainer in London explained Cortisol as being our body’s security system; it’s a stress hormone that alerts our nervous system to control our mood, motivation, and fear.
However, we run into a problem when excessive levels of Cortisol are released, especially if weight loss is one of your goals.
When released in heavy doses, Cortisol can present the following challenges:
Difficulty falling and staying asleep resulting in irritability and fatigue. Psst! Poor sleeping habits have also been linked to unnecessary weight gain.
A weaker immune system which leads to greater levels of vulnerability to infections.
Greater levels of volatility in our blood sugar levels which make us prone to cravings for sweets or unhealthy foods.
Finally, excess fat storage. Cortisol can influence our metabolism to store higher levels of fat. And the answer is yes. “Cortisol Belly” is a thing.
If you find yourself feeling stressed out and noticing that you’re having trouble keeping extra weight off, excessive levels of Cortisol may be playing a role.
The Scientific Connection Between Cortisol and Weight Gain
As we discussed earlier, elevated levels of stress cause our bodies to call upon a variety of defense mechanisms so we can confront (or evade) threats with a "fight-or-flight" response.
The dynamics of this “fight-or-flight" response include an elevated heart rate, surging blood pressure, and a flood of glucose into our bloodstream to ensure that our muscles are properly fueled to meet threats head-on…or to flee. Part of this biochemical response also includes the release of more Cortisol by our adrenal glands allowing us to overcome the immediate stressors.
However, higher levels of Cortisol also interfere with our sensitivity to something called leptin, a hormone that sends signals to our brain telling us that we’re full. In other words, too much Cortisol in our bodies can scramble our hormones to the point of stoking our appetite so we consume more calories than we ordinarily would.
Strategies to Reduce Cortisol Levels
Now that we’ve sufficiently vilified our body’s natural response to stress, let’s take a look at a few very effective (and simple) strategies to minimize the negative effects of having too much Cortisol. As one Canary Wharf personal trainer told us, the most direct way to reduce Cortisol levels is to get our stress under control.
Here are five of the best ways to do that:
Get Enough Sleep: Get at least 7 (to 9) hours of sleep every night. We can do this by establishing a consistent routine of waking up and going to bed at the same time each day.
Limit Exposure to Electronics Before Bed: A personal trainer working in Bristol told me that she encourages her clients to limit exposure to the light of electronics at least 45 minutes before sleep. Rather than noodling around on your smartphone while you’re in bed, make it a goal to read a book or listen to a podcast you enjoy.
Control Caffeine Intake: We’re all for that morning cup of coffee, but caffeine can increase Cortisol production and impact our mood. Especially once we experience that caffeine crash. It’s important to enjoy our coffee in moderation.
Exercise regularly: Exercise is a great way to control Cortisol production and improve your body’s response to stress. Don’t know where to start? Consider hiring a personal trainer.
In our post-pandemic society, personal trainers have become widely accessible to even the busiest professionals. These fitness experts have the know-how to understand your goals and develop a fitness routine that is sustainable for your lifestyle. Start by doing a simple online search of “Personal Trainers near me” or “PTs near me.”
Focus on a Nutritious Diet: Studies show that eating a diet that’s high in sugar and saturated fat often leads to Cortisol levels that are dramatically higher than a diet that’s rich in protein sources, whole grains, fruit, and vegetables.
While any kind of food can often be enjoyed in moderation, if we’re just a bit more mindful of the foods in our diet, we’ll be more successful in relieving the symptoms of stress. The result of our efforts won’t just be a trimmer waistline, but a higher quality lifestyle.