Is Personal Training an Antidote to Chronic Stress?

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By Dan Speirs

The 2020s, good times eh…or maybe not so much!

We’ve had a global pandemic of COVID to go along with a global obesity pandemic. At a national level, we’ve got a housing crisis, a cost-of-living crisis, a mental health crisis…

We have two ‘existential’ crises that threaten humanity. The doomsday clock is closer to midnight than it’s ever been due to:

The threat of nuclear war and,
Irreversible, catastrophic climate change.

The lack of meaningful action from our ‘leaders’ to address these issues, certainly doesn’t help.

Additionally, we all have a range of personal stressors to deal with; financial, family, work, relationships, health.

Regarding mental health, we tend to view those who are struggling as having a problem. Perhaps they lack ‘resilience’ or ‘coping skills’. Perhaps they need medication to ‘balance their brains’.

There’s another way to interpret the increase in mental distress though.

Maybe the rapid escalation in depression and anxiety are actually normal responses to our current reality. I’m reminded of the famous quote ascribed to Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti:

It is no measure of health to be well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society.

Chronic stress has become a ‘normal’ part of life. This stress manifests in a variety of adverse physical and mental health symptoms.

Increasingly, it’s pushing many of us towards, or over the edge.

Unfortunately, as Personal Trainers and Weight Management Coaches we can’t eliminate the stressors which impact our clients. But we can help to minimise the adverse impact those stressors have.

To explain how, in this article we’ll examine:

The stress response – what is it?
The difference between acute and chronic stress.
How chronic stress impacts our health.
Why meaningful interaction is so important.
How Personal Training is an antidote to chronic stress.

The stress response – what is it?

Consider this scenario:

After working late, you miss the last bus and have to walk home. You take a shortcut through the park, it’s dark and eerie. While not ‘scared’, you’re definitely nervous. You pass a strange looking character on a park bench who grumbles something.

500 metres further on, a twig snaps and there’s rustling in the bushes. Your heart starts pounding, your breathing quickens and your muscles tense up.

This is the human stress response aka ‘fight or flight’ in action.

The response evolved as a survival mechanism, enabling us to react quickly and purposefully to life-threatening situations. It involves a near-instantaneous sequence of nervous and hormonal system changes and physiological responses that enable us to:

Fight off the threat or,
Flee to safety.

The acute (immediate) physiological response is initiated in the brain. When danger is perceived, messages are sent to the amygdala which is responsible for emotional processing, especially fear and anxiety. Once the amygdala has interpreted the danger, it sends ‘distress’ messages to the brains control hub – the hypothalamus.

The hypothalamus forwards those messages to the adrenal glands, located on top of the kidneys. The adrenals pump the hormones adrenaline (epinephrine) and noradrenaline (norepinephrine) around the body which:

Increase heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate.
Improve oxygen supply to the brain thus enhancing alertness.
Decrease sensitivity to pain.
Improve sensitivity of key senses – vision and hearing.
Redistribute blood flow to the muscles and away from processes such as digestion.

If threats aren’t dealt with quickly, the body’s main stress response system, the ‘HPA axis’ is activated.

The HPA axis sustains the stress response. It involves a series of hormonal signals sent from the hypothalamus to the adrenals via the pituitary gland. The end result is the release of the body’s primary stress hormone, cortisol.

Cortisol acts on almost every organ and tissue in the body to:

Increase the supply of blood sugar for energy by breaking down the body’s energy stores.
Reduce energy demanding functions considered non-essential to ‘fight or flight’ such as immune, digestive and reproductive system function.

The stress response and the actions of the stress hormones are extremely beneficial for dealing with threats. They enable effective ‘fight or flight’. The problem is that the threats the system evolved to deal with, are no longer the threats we’re faced with.

For much of our history, the stress response was triggered by reasonably short-lived threats such as a roaming predator. Today, our stress response is being triggered by events that never go away. Hence stress for many of us has become permanent or ‘chronic’.

Where the actions of the stress hormones are beneficial in an acute sense, they become problematic in a chronic sense. The functions of the stress hormones provide an indication of where problems might manifest…

What are the health consequences of chronic stress?

Elizabeth Blackburn received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her work on ‘telomeres’.

On the ends of chromosomes, telomeres ‘protect chromosomal integrity’. Chromosomes are those key structures located within the nucleus of our cells which hold our genetic material.

It turns out that as our chromosomes ‘unravel’, so do we! Let me explain…

Every time a cell in our body divides (essential for growth and tissue renewal), telomeres tend to shorten. When they get too short, chromosomes unravel, and their host cell dies or becomes dysfunctional.

Shortened telomeres are associated with:

Reduced immune function and an increased susceptibility to illness.
Increased inflammation which damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

Tracking the length and stability of telomeres throughout the lifespan, Blackburn’s research has provided valuable insights to health and longevity. Telomeres have become known as our ‘cellular clocks’; they provide a measure of biological rather than chronological age.

Dr Blackburn and her associate Dr Elisa Epel [ref 1] found that:

Care-giving mothers of chronically ill children had shorter telomeres than same-aged mothers of healthy children.
The deficit in telomere length was proportionate to the number of years spent care-giving and the degree of stress perceived by the mothers.

Similar results have been found amongst:

Caregivers looking after patients with dementia.
People living in socioeconomic deprivation.
People who are victims of crime and those who have experienced discrimination.

Chronic stress prematurely shortens telomeres stealing years from our lives!

It also has a direct influence on many common diseases. Here are just a few examples:

Investigating the relationship between ovarian cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), researchers [ref 2] found that:

Women with severe PTSD had twice the risk of ovarian cancer than women with no known trauma experience.
The more severe the trauma symptoms, the more aggressive the cancer proved to be.

Theorising that stress could promote cancer by inhibiting the immune system, scientists [ref 3] injected ovarian cancer cells into the abdominal cavities of lab mice. The mice that were subjected to emotional aggravation by being physically restrained and socially isolated:

Had a far greater incidence of tumor growth and spread than socially housed, unrestrained mice.

Regarding PTSD, a diagnosis typically requires a specific, traumatic event to have occurred which threatened death or serious injury. Finnish researchers [ref 4] investigated whether common life stressors (e.g., divorce, unemployment) generated as many PTSD symptoms as traumatic events.

They found that:

People experiencing common life stressors suffered as many, or more PTSD symptoms than those who had endured traumatic events.

Investigating the impact of job strain and job insecurity, researchers from Harvard Medical School [ref 5] found that women:

With highly stressful jobs were 67% more likely to experience a heart attack than women in less stressful jobs.

Investigating the impact of childhood sexual abuse, Canadian researchers [ref 6] found that men:

Who were abused as children were three times more likely to suffer a heart attack than men who weren’t abused.

Scientists [ref 7] investigating linkages between the brains ‘fear centre’ (the amygdala) and cardiovascular disease found that:

The more stress someone perceives or experiences, the higher the resting activity of the amygdala.
The higher the resting activity of the amygdala…the greater the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Chronic stress may be the greatest direct threat to human health.

This is but a brief introduction to the problems associated with chronic stress.

Cortisol is also associated with increasing appetite and the storage of unused nutrients as body fat. Hence chronic stress is heavily implicated in obesity. And because cortisol has a major impact on metabolism, it’s also implicated in our major metabolic disorder, diabetes.

You get the picture though; chronic stress is a major problem. We tend to overlook it because it’s become dangerously ‘normal’.

Personal training, physical activity and chronic stress – what’s the relationship?

In terms of health and fitness, it’s reasonably well known that regular exercise helps to:

Improve cardio-respiratory (heart-lung) function.
Strengthen the musculoskeletal system (muscles and bones).
Improve flexibility and mobility.
Build lean muscle tissue and reduce fat tissue.

We certainly cover these benefits in substantial detail during our Personal Training and Weight Management Coaching programmes.

Less well known are some of the benefits that relate to stress and mental health. A growing body of research points to just how crucial regular physical activity is to all aspects of human health. For example:

Korean researchers [ref 8] recently investigated whether physical activity had a positive effect on the rate of telomere shortening. Their meta-analysis concluded that:

Exercise, in particular aerobic exercise, can reduce the rate of telomere shortening.
Exercise, when sustained for longer than six months and associated with lifestyle change, is most beneficial for telomere length.

So, chronic stress prematurely shortens telomeres and accelerates our biological aging but:

When sustained, exercise protects us from the aging effects of chronic stress.

In another blog, we examined how exercise is an effective treatment for anxiety and depression.

In contrast to the stress hormones, exercise increases the availability of neurotransmitters which enhance our mood, specifically:

Serotonin – helps to stabilise our mood (bring us up when we’re feeling down).
Dopamine – helps us to feel happy and satisfied.
Endorphins – act as our own natural pain reliever.

And not to be overlooked, exercise provides people with a break away from the stressors of daily life.

This allows the deeper, darker regions of the brain that control the stress response a little time to ‘chill out’. At the same time, exercise provides people with an opportunity to:

Vent frustrations (nothing like hitting the boxing pads).
Gain a sense of accomplishment for a well completed session.
Feel ‘in control’ of at least one aspect of their life.

A recent review into the effects of physical activity on depression, anxiety and psychological distress [ref 9] concluded that:

“Physical activity is highly beneficial for improving the symptoms of depression, anxiety and distress across a wide range of adult populations.”

For the benefits of physical activity to be realised, it must be sustained. This is where personal training comes to the fore with regard to mitigating the effects of chronic stress.

Fundamentally, trainers focus on helping clients to build and sustain a habit of regular physical activity.

How are these habits built? Well that all boils down to relationships…

Personal training and chronic stress – do we take ‘connection’ for granted?

There’s an aspect of personal training that is frequently overlooked and/or undervalued – the personal aspect.

I read a fascinating study recently which investigated the extent to which social relationships influence mortality risk [ref 10]. The study, a meta-analysis, pulled data from 148 studies which followed 308,849 individuals for an average of 7.5 years.

It concluded that:

Individuals with adequate social relationships have a 50% greater likelihood of *survival compared to those with poor or insufficient relationships. (*Survival as opposed to premature death).
The magnitude of this effect exceeded the effect of well-known mortality risk factors such as obesity and physical inactivity.
Social relationship-based interventions represent a major opportunity to enhance not only the quality of life, but also…survival.

Why is this? Psychiatrist Gabor Maté [ref 11] provides an explanation.

For most of our evolutionary past, humans lived in small hunter-gatherer groups. Social interaction and reciprocity were critical to the survival of these groups. ‘Reciprocity’ was the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit and connection, not personal enrichment.

Maté notes that no hominin species (early humans and their ancestors) could have:

Survived long enough to evolve had its members seen themselves as ‘individuals in competition against their fellow beings’.

Modern, ‘Western’ society has little resemblance to our evolutionary past. We swim in a culture that values individual advancement and material accumulation over social interaction, connection and ‘reciprocity’.

We’re encouraged to compete against our fellow humans for:

Better grades.
Higher salaries.
Bigger houses.
Flasher cars.
Acclaim and victory at any cost.

This competition is inherently stressful, permanent and creates barriers to connection.

For us, this is why the title ‘Personal Trainer’ is so important. It’s personal first and foremost. Training is always secondary.

Trainers build social, supportive, reciprocal connections with clients.

It’s these connections that enable clients to unload their stresses, albeit temporarily and then gain the benefits of physical activity and healthy eating.

When connection is taken for granted, everyone suffers.

As such, we ‘bake’ connection into the practice of personal training. At a minimum, our students learn how to:

Build personal relationships via a structured consultation process that identifies each clients unique objectives, needs, concerns, preferences and capabilities.
Design exercise plans and programmes in collaboration with clients to suit the clients objectives, preferences and need for progress.
Deliver engaging exercise sessions that cater to the emotional, social, and physical needs and preferences of every client.
Monitor, recognise and adapt each client’s training according to their physical and/or mental state on any given day.
Cater to clients as humans first and foremost – encourage and provide the opportunity to unload stress as required.
Regularly review and adapt all aspects of a client’s training to better meet their needs, objectives and preferences.

For us, personal training is holistic – it’s one of the few helping professions that cater to the complete human – their mental, social and physical needs as one.

A final word – personal training and chronic stress

The reality of the 2020s is that many of us are living with chronic stress. In and of itself, this may be the single greatest threat to our health. Add it to a lack of physical activity, poor diet and inadequate social connection and the problem gets worse.

As Personal Trainers and Weight Management Coaches we can’t remove all the stressors from our clients lives. But we can help to alleviate them by excelling in our roles.

Fundamentally, trainers and coaches build meaningful social connections that focus on:

Understanding each clients unique circumstances, stressors, objectives and needs.
Supporting clients as they build healthy eating behaviours and exercise habits.
Providing clients with a regular opportunity to ‘take a break’ from their stressful realities.

When executed well, personal training (and weight management coaching) may be the key antidotes to chronic stress!

As a side note, a PT client of mine from 15+ years ago recently contacted me for a catch-up. One of those ‘out-of-the-blue’ surprises that just make your day.

Despite living in different cities, we’ve loosely booked a date to catch-up in-person. Based on what’s happened before, we’ll be nattering away all afternoon over multiple coffees.

I hear similar stories from plenty of current and former trainers.

Which makes me wonder; what other professions facilitate a connection between client and practitioner that leads to lifelong friendships?

To quote Scribe; ‘not many, if any’!

References – Is personal training an antidote to chronic stress?

Blackburn & Epel. (2017). The telomere effect: a revolutionary approach to living younger, healthier, longer. Grand Central Publishing. https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/dr-elizabeth-blackburn/the-telomere-effect/9781455587971/?lens=grand-central-publishing
Roberts et al. (2019). Posttraumatic stress disorder is associated with increased risk of ovarian cancer: a prospective and retrospective longitudinal cohort study. Cancer Research. https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-19-1222
Thaker et al. (2006). Chronic stress promotes tumor growth and angiogenesis in a mouse model of ovarian carcinoma. Nature Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1038/nm1447
Mol et al. (2005). Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder after non-traumatic events: evidence from an open population study. British Journal of Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.186.6.494
Slopen et al. (2012). Job strain, job insecurity, and incident cardiovascular disease in the women’s health study: results from a 10-year prospective study. PLoS One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0040512
Fuller-Thomson et al. (2012). The link between childhood sexual abuse and myocardial infarction in a population-based study. Child Abuse & Neglect. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2012.06.001
Tawakol et al. (2017). Relation between resting amygdalar activity and cardiovascular events: a longitudinal and cohort study. The Lancet. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31714-7
Song et al. (2022). Does exercise affect telomere length? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Medicina. https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fmedicina58020242
Singh et al. (2023). Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety and distress: an overview of systematic reviews. British Journal of Sports Medicine. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2022-106195
Holt-Lunstad et al. (2010). Social relationships and mortality risk: a meta-analytic review. PLoS Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000316
Maté & Maté. (2022). The myth of normal: trauma, illness and healing in a toxic culture. Vermilion. https://www.penguin.co.nz/books/the-myth-of-normal-9781785042720