How to Handle Stress (Sweat the Big Stuff)

I am so stressed!!  And I’m sure I’m not the only one out there who
feels this way. The economy is in shambles, people are losing their
jobs and their homes and I can’t help but wonder, “Am I next?”

Now my initial reaction to stress is to:

1. Eat everything in sight.
2. Have a martini for lunch. Or two. Or three . . .
3. Key the cars that STILL have the “Yes on 8” bumper stickers on them. Smug bastards!

Though these are all tempting ways to de-stress, the best and most healthy way is to exercise.  It might be wise to not “sweat the small stuff,” but when it comes to historic, life-altering events, I say, sweat to your heart’s content!! 

Stress can have many negative effects on the body. This is due to the body’s ability to produce a hormone called cortisol.  Before I mention the negative, let me say there are some benefits to cortisol. When you are in a “fight or flight” situation, cortisol helps give you a burst of energy, heightened memory functions, and a lower sensitivity to pain. Great when a cougar is chasing you. 

However, with the good comes the bad -- suppressed thyroid function, blood sugar imbalances, decreased bone-density, decreased muscle tissue, and the ever popular increased abdominal fat! Yikes!  So unless you are running from a fang-baring predator (Edward Cullen doesn’t count, for all you "Twilight "fans), cortisol does not do your body good.

Needless to say, weight gain is fairly easy in times of stress.  Which is why it is so important to exercise during stressful situations. When you exercise, your body produces endorphins, which energize the body and create a feeling of happiness.  This enables you to turn that stressful time into something that you can handle.  Lift weights, take a dance class, hike or bike ride . . . just get moving!  Other positive ways to handle stress are:

1. Get a massage.
2. Listen to relaxing music.
3. Take a bubble bath in a candlelit bathroom.
4. See a funny movie and laugh your butt off.
5. Make love with that special someone.

Try one or all of these de-stressers. You can probably accomplish all of them on a good date night! On that note, I’m going to get my stressed-out butt to the gym . . . once I finish this martini.

(Photo: Getty Images)

A.C.E.- and N.A.S.M.-certified, Bobby Solorio has been personal
training for 10 years. You might recognize him from Bravo TV's "Kathy Griffin: My Life
on the D-List," where he trains his now-A-list client. For more info, check out
Bobby's website.