Oftentimes women find themselves in the gym 6+ days a week doing high-intensity cardio, lifting, spin classes, boot camp classes, and much more. They come to a place where they are eating so little and wonder why they do not look like they wish. Sometimes they can experience health issues along the way such as; thyroid issues, digestive problems, hormone imbalances, and weight fluctuations. Regardless of how much exercise and how much food they consume they just CAN NOT get the body to respond in the way that they wish. Why might this be? Cortisol. 

High cortisol can be influenced not only inside the gym but also outside of the gym. Take an average person, for example, they work a stressful job and have kids to get to school and practice and they participate in social activities in their free time. On top of all of this, they hit the gym 6+ days a week and partake in stress-induced exercise. Spoiler alert there is too much stress for the body to handle all of that at a single given time. What begins to happen is the body enters the fight or flight state and begins compromising many functions just to survive. 

Unfortunately, we see this happening more and more in modern society with the stress-induced environment we live in. 

There has been this major push for the “go hard or go home” mentality that taunts women specifically when women need to work out differently from men since our hormone makeup is completely different. If women go balls to the walls with intense workouts 6+ days a week our hormones suffer big time, which is less than ideal for overall functionality and optimal health. 

Here are some ways to move your body if you currently deal with high cortisol. 

1. Walking: Walking is the most underrated form of exercise. It can be performed anywhere and can burn calories without stressing the body and can be sustained for long periods of time. 
2. Yoga: Yoga is a great way to perform movements without stressing the body. If doing yoga in a heated space you can release toxins and destress the body at the same time. 
3. Pilates: Pilates has become quite trendy recently. It is a great alternative to high-intensity exercise that can give amazing results and still not stress the body out too much. 
4. Strength Training: Strength training when done in moderation can be wonderful for the metabolism and not increase cortisol. It is important though to lower the volume of reps you are doing and keep track of your heart rate when performing. Keeping the heart rate at 50-60% maybe some 60-70% of your max is a good rule of thumb. 
5. Meditation: Mediation is a great exercise for the mind that can decrease cortisol. 
6. Stretching: Stretching can be a great way to still get some movement in on a day when you do not feel like doing much. 
7. Sauna Sessions: Sauna sessions are a great way to release toxins and get your heart rate up slightly without the intensity that a typical cardio session would. 
8. Cold Therapy: Cold therapy can be a wellness service that can provide a great way to decrease cortisol levels and help you feel refreshed and restored. 
9. Bodywork: Bodywork and or massage techniques can help move your lymph and while it is not a physical activity it can be great for recovery and help your muscles perform better. 
10. Hiking: Hiking is an amazing way to get out and enjoy nature while moving your body. 

If you are dealing with high cortisol it is highly recommended to remove ALL high intensity exercise. Begin to incorporate some of the exercise movements listed above. The number one focus should be rest and nourishment until you feel you can handle some of the exercise listed above. By adding some of these more restorative forms of exercise into your everyday routine you will be able to sustain your routine for much longer and feel great doing so. The body must be primed before taking on a stressful workout and can not handle stressful and intense exercise day in and day out.