Stress and cortisol
If you watch TV then at some point you've probably heard something, whether from a commercial or the news, about the hormone cortisol and how it relates to storing fat in the body, especially in the abdomen. Under normal conditions cortisol, which is released by the adrenal glands, works to help regulate blood pressure, metabolize glucose properly, release insulin for proper blood sugar maintenance, works as an immune function, and works in response to inflammation. Cortisol levels are also normally higher in the morning and lower at night.
Cortisol is released in greater amounts when the body is under high levels of stress-both physiologically and emotionally-and is helpful in "fight or flight" situations. When under increased amounts of stress (beyond the tolerance level of the individual) the adrenal glands will pump more adrenal cortical hormone (cortisol) into the bloodstream to help suppress the immune system, arrest the self-healing mechanism in the body, and mobilize blood sugar stores from the liver and muscles for energy production-all of which are survival mechanisms designed to help you through your ordeal, whether real or imagined.
Since your adrenal glands don't know the difference between environmental/physical stress (including chemical) and imagined/psychological stress, it will increase cortisol production any time the body's tolerance to stress is breached. The more cortisol you produce the more blood sugar your body will produce from storage. The more blood sugar is converted from liver and muscle storage the less you burn from fat stores. So, if your intent to work out is to burn off fat then working out when you are stressed, physically or emotionally, may actually nullify or drastically reduce the results you were hoping for
From a mechanical standpoint, any muscular imbalance that causes stress and/or pain will lower your body's tolerance to stress. Working out with weights or cardio at high levels when your body has an already lowered tolerance may increase the level of stress your body is under, thus increasing levels of cortisol in the bloodstream. It's from this perspective that all exercise is not the same for everyone. Working harder is not always working smarter. This is one large reason why we I recommend having a proper mechanical evaluation* as a way to know your body's ability and tolerance before starting an exercise program. With a proper evaluation, a strategic exercise program can be put in place to help you balance out your body. Balancing the body will reduce the amount of stress and increase the tolerance to outside forces (weights and cardio) allowing you to do more in your exercise sessions
From an emotional standpoint, working out when you are stressed may initially help to reduce the feeling of stress but may not provide any extra calorie burn as more stress (exercise) to an already stressed body (emotional stress) will only provide calorie expenditure from blood sugar released due to the increased amounts of cortisol. You may initially feel like working out reduces stress but it may very well be the adaptation phase of the increased stress/cortisol process. Remember, cortisol is working to help you manage like normal under stressful situations by suppressing many of the negative reactions felt in the body when you are stressed - this is a survival technique of the body. When your body is trying to survive it is not concerned with weight loss or muscle gain. It is also much easier to get injured when you are working out when you are stressed as your nervous systems ability to recruit muscle efficiently is reduced, thus opening the chance for your body to compensate and overwork.
The same goes for choosing to do exercises you dislike. Doing any exercise you dislike may nullify the initial purpose for doing the exercise. This is one large reason why it is so important to clean up your action plan**. Having the ability to reduce stress in your life as well as learning how to align your self with desired actions to get desired results allows the body to work under the most advantageous conditions.
It should also be noted that working out because you don't like your body also puts you in an environment of stress. Any negative emotions you have surrounding your body (or anything else for that matter) will increase your levels of stress. When you are working out because you don't like your body, you bring that level of energy with you into your workout, as your reason for putting your body under mechanical stress will be done under the guise of trying to change something you don't like
All in all, a high level of stress is nothing more than an indicator that something is out of alignment - either mentally or physically. Since your brain doesn't know the difference between what's "out there" over-stress and what's "in here" over-stress, the body will respond the same towards either. Managing both is an essential part of getting to your goals
*You can find a list of exercise professionals who have the ability to provide a proper mechanical (joint and muscle) evaluation by clicking here. I recommend finding a Muscle Activation Techniques (MAT) specialist. An MAT specialist can provide both a mechanical evaluation and proper strategies to correct any imbalances present.
**In both the book and workbook you will find a process that will help you clean up your action plan.
