How to reduce stress, boost heart health, and lessen chronic pain

We’re all pretty familiar with stress, right? You’ve got a million things to do, you’re running late, and feel like you’ve on the brink of a break down. Or you’ve not had a full day off from work in weeks; thinking about it night and day… sound more familiar? Stress can be felt in different ways, from physical effects to emotional responses.

In the short term, stress can be helpful, it can help us perform better, and saves us in the face of danger.

When stress is ongoing, it can have damaging effects on our health - both mental and physical. It is a leading risk factor for heart disease, and can even lead to chronic pain!

This is serious stuff, but luckily for you we have the answers on how to prevent heart disease and chronic pain, by managing stress with some simple techniques.

But first...

What is stress?

Stress is the body’s response to a physical or psychological trigger that is perceived as challenging or threatening. Stress is usually any change, no matter how big or small that you have to adapt to.

Eustress is positive stress, such as starting a new work project, or trying a workout that's slightly challenging. It may feel tough, and daunting at first, but it gives you a chance to develop new skills.

Acute stress is short term, and identifiable, such as public speaking or going to the dentist, whereas chronic stress is caused by challenges that don’t have a clear ending, like long-term illness, financial stress, and relationship issues, to name a few.

How does stress affect your body and heart?

The body’s response to stress means you get an increased production of Cortisol (a stress hormone). It also releases epinephrine and norepinephrine, known as adrenaline which triggers our bodies “fight or flight” response.

Increase in the above hormones lead to:

• Increased heart rate and blood pressure
• Increased breathing rate
• Increased blood flow to muscles (therefore decreasing digestion)

When looking at that list, it is any wonder that we develop an increased risk of cardiovascular problems! Our cardiovascular system is a vital part of our stress response and is often hit hard long term. Think of your heart like any muscle of the body - it needs time to rest, recover, and heal.

A 2021 study conducted between universities in Sweden and Canada, showed 118,706 people without existing heart disease across 21 countries. Researchers found that high stress was associated with an increased risk of:

• cardiovascular disease ( high blood pressure, heart attacks etc)
• coronary heart disease (narrowing of the arteries due to fat build up)
• stroke
• Diabetes
• Death

Activity in the amygdala region of the brain increases in response to stress – this has been linked with a jump in inflammation that negatively impacts the arteries.

Long-term stress is NOT normal and is physically damaging putting our bodies at a very real risk.

Stress and Pain

Stress and pain can often be linked with anything from headaches to neck tension.

For some, the pain can be short-term and moderate pain, but in some situations, there can even be severe and chronic pain. Stress causes tension and muscle spasms combined with increased levels of cortisol in your body causing significant inflammation - these changes in your body can cause pain.

Plus if you're going through difficult emotional times, stress can make the immune system weak. As a result, you can become more susceptible to colds, flu, and other kinds of infections.

Stress effects on lifestyle and behaviours:

Stress can negatively impact the lifestyle choices we make – we start to move less, eat more sugary, fatty, comforting foods because of ease and to act like a hug. Drinking more alcohol is very common, we see characters of TV reaching for the wine glass after a busy day, almost as though it's normal and ok. A glass become several, several becomes a bottle…

We withdraw from social contact. The thought of small talk and catching up with family friends becomes dauting or just too much effort! ugh!

We have all been there. It’s hard to get out of that rut.

We understand that the last thing you want to do is go and do some exercise when you are stressed BUT all those behaviours unfortunately lead to increased rate of heart disease, and increased pain from not moving properly. And you will not be curing your stress.

But it's not all doom and gloom!

What can you do to manage stress and protect your heart?

The good news is, there are many things you can do to look after your heart, and reduce chances of chronic pain, by managing stress. Even trying just one or two of these tips, even if it's just for 5-10 minutes a day can have a profound effect on reducing your stress levels.

• Take up regular exercise – swimming, walking, Pilates, running, yoga, take your pick! We have loads of fab classes at the HealthHub, so if you'd like to find a class that's right for you click here for our timetable
• Try some relaxation techniques to unwind, such as breath work or journaling - massage is a wonderful way to look after your body!
• Do something you used to enjoy doing – curl up with a book, enjoy your favourite movie, maybe even have a dance around to a song you love in the kitchen
• Sleep. We all know how horrible it feels when we don’t get enough sleep. We need anywhere between 7-9 hours a night. Why not pick up a copy of Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker (or listen to his fab podcast!)
• Connect with others – there is a reason for the saying a problem shared, is a problem halved - call a friend, go for a coffee and a catch up, or plan a walk with someone you can open up to.
• Seek help if you need it! This can be such a big step to take, but a very important one for those who feel they need a little more than just self-help. More on that below...

Where do I start?

Remember no one thing will work for everyone. We are ALL UNIQUE with our own stressors in day-to-day life, so try a variety of things, and figure out what works for you. Even small steps can make a huge difference, so start there!

The few things we can agree on is everyone could do with moving a little more, eating healthier and finding something to be joyful about. High cortisol levels keep you in a constant cycle of pain and stress, so you will struggle to live a fuller, happier life until you can work through this.

Need some help?

It can be tough to identify what you need to do to help manage your stress when you're in the trenches. Trying to figure out what steps you need to start taking can feel totally overwhelming when you've already got too much to think about.

Having someone help you review your lifestyle, find what might be causing your stress, and give you a plan of what you can start doing to better manage it, can be exactly what you need when you're in a rut and struggling by yourself.

Luckily for you we offer a FREE Lifestyle Review with Abbie. In this complimentary visit Abbie will help you take a look at the areas of your life that you need help with in order to reduce stress, and feel happier and healthier. She will then help you create a plan of action. You can book yours by calling 01548 852 355 or contacting [email protected]

So if there's just one thing you do this week to help reduce your stress levels:

Open up your heart space. Pause. Breathe.

With love,

Abbie and Naomi

P.S. Call 01548 852 355 or contact [email protected] to enquire about a FREE Lifestyle Review with Abbie

P.P.S If you would like to reduce stress levels, promote better cardiovascular health, and get fitter and stronger at the same time, contact 01546 852 355 or [email protected] to find out more information on how our VIGOUR Health Club can help you keep your ticker ticking along now and in the future.