Stress & Fitness By: Lisa Ritchie

Can fitness help relieve the stress you feel at work and as the holiday season creeps up on us? According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety, 40 percent of us feel our jobs are very stressful, while 26 percent say they’re often burned out. Changing jobs is not always possible, and we all know how crazy the holiday season can get!

A 2016 study published in “Medicine and Science in Sports and Fitness” analyzed blood pressure, body mass index, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, along with blood-sugar levels and cardio metabolic risk in 197 men and women with an average age of 39 years old. Those with higher cardio-respiratory fitness had lower numbers across the board, even those in high stress jobs who reported feeling stressed. Just don’t stress about taking some “me” time to exercise!

The study concluded that higher cardio-respiratory fitness may provide some protection against the health hazards of high chronic stress. So, get out there and run, bike, paddle, skate and have fun!