Category Archives: Mental health

May 2, 2022

HOW TO EXERCISE FOR STRESS RELIEF, WITHOUT RAISING YOUR CORTISOL LEVELS.

We’re frequently told that exercise is hugely beneficial for both our physical and mental well-being, but it’s important to remember you can have too much of a good thing. While you might logically think that the more exercise you do, the greater the endorphin hit and stress relief benefit – over-exercising can have the opposite effect by triggering your body’s stress response and raising your cortisol levels.

Is exercise effective for stress relief?

Any form of physical activity is a great way to relieve stress. Physical activity not only boosts our body’s ability to use oxygen, but it can also improve blood flow. As you probably already know, exercise releases feel good hormones such as endorphins and serotonin into the brain.

Exercise can also provide you with a distraction, taking your mind off work stresses, daily tasks and other issues you may be experiencing. While it doesn’t directly problem solve, exercise can provide clarity and allow for a more rational mindset.

While some people experience immediate euphoria after exercising, others can feel it over a longer period of time. The benefits of exercises (mental and physical) are built up by sticking to a consistent routine.

Can exercise increase your cortisol levels?

While exercise is a great tool for stress relief, over-exercising can have the opposite effect. The hormone cortisol, otherwise known as the stress hormone, has been shown to increase if you over exercise and over strain your body. Stress is often linked to a mental process; however, we tend to disregard the effect it can have on our body physically.

Exercising too much, or not performing stretches or cool downs when you do exercise can cause a number of physical strains on our muscles.

But what counts as over-exercising? Performing high intensity exercise for over 60 minutes a day can be shown to affect blood levels and neurotransmitters that can lead to feelings of stress, depression and chronic fatigue So, stick to between around 30 – 60 minutes of exercise 5 times a week to get the benefits you need and allow your body to recover.

Will exercising every day make me more stressed?

It is perfectly fine to exercise for under an hour every day, depending on the workout you choose. Some exercises like HIIT training can be more beneficial in shorter bursts. The healthy stress your body undergoes during HIIT sessions triggers autophagy, which put simply is the process your body goes through to clean out damaged cells and regenerate newer, healthier cells to help the body achieve optimum health, as well as being anti-ageing.

The NHS recommends exercising between 15-30 minutes every day, or 150 minutes per week. It is greatly beneficial to mix up your weekly routine, by switching between high intensity exercises like HIIT that can last 15-30 minutes and low intensity exercises such as long walks and cycling.

What are the best forms of exercise for stress relief?

While all types of exercise help with stress relief, aerobic exercise is considered most beneficial. Exercises such as cycling, walking, jogging, running or swimming have an incredible effect on your body and mind. Doing exercise outside can also help with stress relief. Fresh air does wonders for the mind. Plus, fresh oxygen stimulates the release of happiness hormones and boosts your immune system. A change of scenery also means your workouts never have to be boring or repetitive.

December 6, 2021

BOOST YOUR HAPPINESS HORMONES.

Think nice thoughts…

Oxytocin is a hormone that makes us feel bonded and trusting, but also helps in the release of mood-boosting chemical messengers, dopamine and serotonin – and you can think your way to greater levels of both.

When researchers in Japan measured oxytocin in people practising the Arigato Zen form of meditation (which involves chanting the Japanese for ‘thank you’), they found it rose by 36% on average.

Another form of meditation called Loving Kindness meditation, where you wish wellness and happiness on people you like and even those you don’t, also raised levels.

Practising kindness on a regular basis produces direct physiological changes in the brain and body in these areas. The part of the brain that controls it just starts to grow.

October 4, 2021

HOW TO NOURISH YOUR MENTAL HEALTH.

Feed the good bugs in your gut, reduce inflammation and put your brain into ‘grow’ mode: all things that can help with depression and anxiety. Pick the food you enjoy eating most from each category below and fill up on more of them.

Leafy greens
Spinach, kale, rocket and chard contain plenty of fibre and vitamin A, linked to the brains ability to grow. The vitamin C counteracts free-radical damage.

Aim for: chopped greens every day.
Get more: blend kale into a smoothie.

Rainbow fruits and vegetables
Nutrients in purple, red and orange foods reduce inflammation.

Aim for: a handful with each meal.
Get more: roast, stir-fry or use as the basis for pasta sauces and stews.

Seafood
Seafood helps you get the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids that your brain needs to stimulate nerve-growth factors.

Aim for: two seafood meals each week.
Get more: turn mild-tasting fish into tacos, or serve steamed mussels over pasta.

Nuts, beans and seeds
Rich in brain nutrients including fibre, zinc and iron – important for your red blood cells.

Aim for: at least a small handful every day.
Get more: add walnuts to a smoothie, or throw black beans into your favourite soups or stews.

Eggs and dairy
Eggs contain protein, B vitamins, which help regulate brain chemicals, and choline, linked to fewer anxiety symptoms.

Aim for: five to seven eggs and three to five servings of dairy (ideally fermented) per week.
Get more: whip up a vegetable frittata.

Meat
With the rise of vegan and vegetarian lifestyles, many of us feel conflicted about eating meat. Still, it’s a potent source of iron, protein and B12.

Aim for: three servings per week (not required).
Get the right stuff: grass-fed beef has fewer calories and better fats for your brain.

September 6, 2021

BENEFITS OF TAKING YOUR WORKOUT OUTSIDE.

Rise and shine
Training under the sun raises your vitamin D levels, giving you more than just a mood boost. It supports the immune system and is essential in the absorption of phosphorus and calcium. It aids bone health, helps weight loss and is a crucial ally in fending off illness.

Sweat it out
By making your body work harder to keep cool, outdoor training can boost cardio fitness in as little as five days. There are two theories as to why this happens: that heat improves the bodies ability to deliver oxygen to the tissues that need it; and that it increases bloodflow, causing positive adaptation to our blood vessels.

Brighter minds
Get up from your desk and go outside at lunchtime. Breathing in fresh air improves your ability to think clearly, as well as helping to alleviate stress and anxiety. Up the ante with a group or partner workout: exercising with others releases serotonin – AKA the feel-good hormone.

Glow up
The combination of oxygen and sunshine acts as a kind of muscle Miracle-Gro. Breathing in fresh, outdoor air increases our blood oxygen levels, accelerating muscle repair. Plus, if your training routine feels stale, taking it outside can help you by firing up your motivation.

Better habits
Making gains in the sun could also help those who struggle not to devour double helpings of their post-workout refuel. To regulate temperature, your body cuts back on digestion, reducing your appetite. We are likely to rehydrate more often, too, and choose foods that compliment our training.

July 17, 2020

THE IMPACT OF CORONAVIRUS ON OUR MENTAL HEALTH.

The mental health charity Mind have recently conducted a survey to find out how the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown was affecting people’s mental health. Their findings show that new mental health problems have developed and existing mental health problems have worsened.

Worryingly, a staggering 60% of adults and 68% of young people said their mental health got worse during lockdown. 

Results show that restrictions on seeing people, not being able to go outside and worries about the health of family and friends are the key factors driving poor mental health. 

Some of the groups of people found more likely to report that their mental health has declined included women, people with eating disorders, and frontline workers.

It has been found that the most common (negative) coping strategies that people are using are over or under eating, alcohol and drug use and self-harming. 

Positive ways of coping that many are using include connecting with family and friends, watching tv or films, spending time outside and doing household chores. 

Some of the participants gave their advice on how to manage mental health during difficult periods of uncertainty. The most commonly focused five key points are:

  1. Be kind to yourself – getting through each day is enough
  2. Keep talking to others about how you’re feeling
  3. Develop a new routine
  4. Find activities that help to distract you
  5. Limit how much news you engage with

While there is still so much more to achieve, Mind’s research is leading the way to enable people to help one another through this challenging time and it has highlighted the degree of which coronavirus has affected our mental health. 

To find out how Mind are making use of these findings you can read the full report here. 

July 3, 2020

MAKING GOOD FOOD CHOICES #5.

Mindful eating

Taking time to cook more ambitiously or to cook a meal slowly is a luxury that can be enjoyed on weekends, or to unwind during the week after a long, busy day.

Really investing in the preparing and cooking of a meal is an opportunity to ground yourself and truly be in the moment, taking care and paying attention to details. 

Washing and cutting ingredients, tasting and adjusting the balance of flavours, textures, and seasoning all require full attention. Cooking is one of the easiest ways to practice mindfulness. 

Take a moment to think about your food – where it came from, how it was grown, what it cost the earth to produce it – and appreciate what is given to you.

March 16, 2020

WHY YOU SHOULD PUT THE SCALES AWAY.

You may think it’ll be motivational, and allow you to keep tabs on whether your workouts and nutrition are working for you, but if fat loss is your goal, then weighing yourself could be counter-intuitive.

The number on the scales may plateau, and even rise. That’s because muscle is a much denser tissue. If you compare a pound of fat and a pound of muscle, the size of the latter is much smaller.

To summarise, muscle weighs more than fat. So as you build muscle, you may actually find you weigh more when stepping on the scales.

What you should actually be considering is body fat percentage. Women between 20 and 40 years old should be aiming for between 21 and 33 per cent.

Alternatively, you could take holistic approach to measuring progress.

  • How do your clothes fit?
  • What has your mood been like? Do you have more energy?
  • Are you sleeping better?

It is all too easy to get hung up on the numbers, bring your focus back to how you feel.

October 4, 2019

THE STRESS EFFECT.

It’s no secret that stress is bad for your health. Long-term exposure to anxiety is linked to increased risk of heart attack, stroke and other conditions.

But new research shows negative emotions may alter your bodies immune response, leading to increased inflammation.

The results showed that those who experienced negative moods several times a day, for extended periods of time, tended to have higher levels of inflammation in their blood. 

It is hoped that further research may lead to psychosocial interventions to break the cycle that can lead to chronic inflammation and disease.

Meanwhile, hit that yoga class or meditation session.

April 1, 2019

DOES EXERCISE REALLY IMPROVE BRAIN POWER?

Research suggests regular aerobic exercise can boost the size of the hippocampus, the core of the brain’s learning and memory systems.

When you exercise your body releases a lot of good things, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is good for the health of brain cells.

The idea is that when you exercise you’re much more likely to cause the brain to make new brain cells.

This is backed up by a German study that showed how cycling while learning a foreign language helped people remember new words better.

October 1, 2018

FITNESS TIP #4.

Listen to your body

We all know how important exercise is, but it’s just as vital to listen to your body when you’re feeling sick. While pushing through a workout after a hard day can sometimes be a great idea, it’s not always the best idea to force your body into exercise.