Exercise to Reduce Stress and Anxiety

Here's a fun fact: In 1775 James Watt created the first reliable steam engine and soon after that, the idiom "blow off some steam" came into use. This phrase refers to the fact that without proper exhaust, a steam engine would explode from the pent-up pressure. That's still an apt analogy for what can happen to people.

I don't think it would be a major revelation to anyone that exercise reduces stress and anxiety. And it's a seemingly natural response. Our bodies react to stress with a complex spike of hormones that often result in a burst of activity. 

But the exact mechanism and extent of this reaction is still being explored with new potential being uncovered constantly. Which is great because the more good we know can come from all that time at the gym, the more time we're likely to invest. But, we'll discuss this a little bit more later.

For now let's talk about research. Exercise can do a lot more then just release pressure, it can actually help you to cope with stress as it presents itself. This is accomplished in an number of ways.

Possibly the most significant is that exercise stimulates the creation of shiny new brain cells in the region of the brain associated with memory and learning. Why is that significant? Think about this: SSRI antidepressants have the same effect. These new cells may help the brain to adapt more quickly to any number of stressors. Since all of our reactions come from our brain, as the chief of the Central Nervous System, the better equipped the brain is to deal with new situations the better our overall reaction will be. 

A new study put this theory to the test on people with "high anxiety sensitivity," which as a fancy way to say that they are at a higher risk to experience panic attacks. People with high anxiety sensitivity are frighten by the physiological effects of panic namely nausea, racing heart, dizziness, stomachaches and shortness of breath and that fear makes the event worse on them. The study took 145 adults with no history of panic attacks and put them in a room where the air contained a mixture of carbon dioxide. The addition of the gas in the room created the above-mentioned symptoms of panic and the subjects were later asked to indicate their level of anxiety. The researchers found that people who regularly took part in high-intensity exercise had a significantly lower stress response to the ordeal.

Again, with feeling: The researchers found that people who regularly took part in high-intensity exercise had a significantly lower stress response to the ordeal.

So now we come to the practical application. How much and what type of exercise is needed?

For the purposes of this discussion, we're going to extend the typical definition of "exercise" to include all forms of high-intensity physical activity that result in a prolonged elevation in heart rate. The American Council on Exercise recommends 20 minutes 6 to 7 days of the week. Keep in mind, this isn't restricted to the gym sort of exercise just get your pulse up and make your muscles work. Play with your kids, take your dog for a walk or get some housework done. Sports are another good option. Tennis, racquetball, volleyball or squash all involve the type of activity needed to effectively "blow off some steam" and pump out some new brain cells. 


A few cautions, though. Try to avoid exercising at work, even if the office has a fitness center. You're still at work and still surrounded by work-related stress. Find the type of exercise that works for you: People who are uncomfortable in crowds may prefer to workout alone while people who crave a social aspect will probably want to attend classes. And if the time needed for exercise is still too much for you to squeeze in, here's a tip: Four 10 minute bouts of exercise have the same benefits and burn the same calories as one 40 minute session. Try taking a break every 90 minutes and going for a walk, climbing stairs, stretching, or just doing some body-weight exercises for 10 minutes.


Who couldn't use some help in coping with stress? A little bit of exercise is all it takes to prepare your body and mind to deal with whatever the day may throw at you and more research is being conducted constantly to explore the benefits of exercise for people who suffer from depression and anxiety.

Question: Is it true that people with ulcers and other stomach problems should avoid spicy foods?

Contrary to the outdated but still well-loved belief of many, spicy foods do not cause peptic ulcers. That distinction goes to a bacteria known as H. pylori. Overuse of NSAID pain relievers, like aspirin and ibuprofen, is also a common cause.

But that wasn't your question, was it? The issue here is whether or not people who already have ulcers should avoid spicy foods. That one is a controversial topic with large heaps of evidence on both sides of the argument.

On one side you have an innumerable amount of anecdotes from peptic ulcer sufferers who report increased pain when they ingest spicy food. To be fair, this only makes sense. Spicy food bares all the markings of a stomach irritant and it's only logical to assume that it would increase the acid content of the stomach and thereby cause additional pain to people with ulcers.

On the other side, we find our old friend Science who doesn't care what other people think "makes sense." A 2006 article published in "Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition" reviewed the findings of many other studies of capsaicin, the spicy in spicy foods, on the stomach. They did not report that it worsens ulcers but the findings were such that they were actually able to call capsaicin a "benefactor." Here's a quote from that article that I feel explains everything wonderfully: "Capsaicin does not stimulate but inhibits acid secretion, stimulates alkali, mucus secretions and particularly gastric mucosal blood flow which help in prevention and healing of ulcers." So spicy foods have the potential to reduce acidity in the stomach and thicken the mucous lining the stomach which can sooth and possibly even heal ulcers. The article also revealed the results of a survey which showed that gastric ulcers are three times more likely in cultures that do not habitually eat spicy food.

Of course this is not to say that ulcer sufferers should start munching on habaneros like they were apples and pouring heaps of cayenne over every meal. Many stomachs have not gotten the memo and are still irritated by large amounts of spicy food. Start slow and back off if you start getting heartburn and always, always, always talk this over with your doctor first.

Spicy foods have the potential to help in the prevention and treatment of peptic ulcers but, just like everything else, have to be used in moderation.