Several disorders plague the human body to ultimately affect your fitness. One of the most influential and severe causes that affect your fitness is chronic stress.
Stress is one of those factors in the human body that can affect important organs and upset the delicate balance of hormones, blood pressure, and immunity. Chronic stress is caused due to Run-ins with traumatic situations or extreme pressure to keep up with the daily chores. It may be a result of hanging pressure coming from the family or any other external factors such as professional life, personal life, etc.
Since the effects of chronic stress on your body are so severe, it can hurt other abilities of your internal system.
Here are some of the ways that chronic stress affects your fitness:
- It immobilizes the body’s ability to control the balance of the hormone called cortisol in your system. This affects your body’s ability to metabolize substances, victim turn can lead to several tangential consequences.
- From it, stress also affects your immune system. When your mind is unable to ease itself, even at rest you’re restless. The immune system does not have enough time to revitalize and recoup. Thus, your immunity starts to suffer, which leads to frequent illnesses, as minuscule as they may be.
- Chronic stress can also shoot your blood pressure through the roof or drop it drastically. The sudden fluctuation in blood pressure can lead to the shutting down or at the very least minor damage to critical organs.
- Stress in itself can disturb your sleep patterns. Chronic stress can take it up a notch and destroy your sleep rhythms such that you’re always restless and fatigued because your body does not receive the required amount of rest.
The way chronic stress affects the production and regulation of the hormone called cortisol has further consequences on the human body. You end up feeling tired all day and crave things to satisfy your need for the hormone and the effects it has on your body.
Some people experience extreme hunger, which one seated can lead to obesity. Given that we mostly crave food items that contain sugar or fatty constitution subsequently affects your fitness as well. These fatty foods also make it difficult for you to exercise, thus affecting your fitness further.
Chronic stress doesn’t just affect your physical fitness but also that of your mind. The acute psychological pressure created by the stress-inducing factors can lead to muscle atrophy. It is easy to encounter adverse muscle-associated effects due to rapidly decreasing lean muscle mass.
If you experience chronic stress, it is ideal to seek medical advice. Speak to a psychological health professional to identify the root of your stress and deal with it before it becomes a daily problem. With chronic stress, it is ideal to opt for exercises that require low levels of strain and work towards improving your levels of fitness, both physical and mental.
