So, You Gained Some Weight During a Global Pandemic? Part 3

Ok. Let’s revisit. So now, after reading parts 1 and 2, you know that food is not the enemy, and that weight gain is normal and physiologically important. But what about your joint health? What about your self-esteem? What about your perception of your body? Exercise must be the answer, right?

Since at least the 1960s, exercise has been marketed and remarketed repeatedly in the United States. And, rightfully so. There are many benefits to exercise as a long term health strategy; it can boost your self-esteem, help you feel comfortable in your body, reduce depression and anxiety, increase endorphins and help your bones stay strong while keeping your joints limber. However, it is important for each person to find the type of exercise that corresponds most effectively with their body, realizing of course that this is not a static choice. The most effective type of exercise, and how that exercise most effectively works for one’s body, often changes over time and through different phases of one’s life. 

As we continue to reel from the trauma and stress of living through a pandemic, through the grieving of lives lost and lives forever changed, many of our bodies are not going to respond to the same exercise program in the same way they did three to five years ago. Our metabolism is impacted by stress, which is rooted in our endocrine response to our surroundings. Under circumstances so vastly different from what many of us have previously experienced, our endocrine response will likely reflect that vast difference. Of course, just as the pandemic impacts each of us differently, so will our individual endocrine systems have a different mirror, causing variations in hormonal changes from person to person.

Following a stressor, the neurotransmitter epinephrine, which most people recognize as adrenaline, gives a 15 second burst of alarm, after which time the hormone cortisol takes over. This is ideal when that initial stressor is an angry bear, a 7.9 earthquake or a screaming child in the middle of the night. The challenge is that cortisol only shuts off once our brain is convinced that the danger has passed. Think of epinephrine as a fire alarm and cortisol as the firefighters. Firefighters do not evacuate a scene until all danger has subsided, until all the wounded have attended to, and until the threat of further danger is abated.

Cortisol raises our blood pressure and heart rate, which are both beneficial processes in a short term stress scenario such as those listed above. In fact, although cortisol seems to have been scapegoated for its propensity to store fat, cortisol has many useful attributes. It mobilizes oxygen and calcium to our muscles so that we can outrun danger, survive an earthquake or protect a child. It borrows these nutrients from the prefrontal cortex of the brain and bones for this process, which is logical (no pun intended) when we want to outrun a bear. Cortisol also shuts down our digestive processes and stores energy as fat in the middle of our bodies - the “love handles” and “spare tire” patterns which give an “apple” body shape, which is helpful for longer, external stressors such as cold weather or food shortages.  

When we experience a longer term stress pattern, like a global pandemic, work emails 24/7, and/or stressful family relationships, we are unable to convince our brains that the danger has passed. Our good ol’ friend exercise, in the form of a quick, high intensity burst or a sustained elevated heart rate like that found in aerobics classes, Zumba, running, HIIT training, can all increase our stress response when we are already in a chronically elevated cortisol state, thus contributing to weight gain, as well as increasing blood pressure, insomnia and fatigue. Not what we are usually looking for when we exercise. 

The really tricky part is that some people at some times will have a stress reduction response from exercising in the midst of a long-term stress pattern. At these times, exercise will complete the stress cycle, assuring the brain that the danger has passed. When exercise works to complete the stress cycle, cortisol levels will normally return to their pre-stressor levels. This scenario will be apparent if exercise has the result of improving your quality of sleep, improving your mental outlook and your body image. 

When exercising, pay attention to how you feel before, during and after. If you notice exhaustion after exercising, difficulty staying asleep and you are not experiencing the fitness goals that you aspire to, it may be that you need to change your type or style of exercise. Challenging your balance and slowing your breathing are beneficial practices. Lower intensity, more relaxed workouts such as walking in nature with few distractions, yin yoga and meditation may provide better health outcomes and help you more successfully reach your fitness goals at this time than a more high intensity exercise program. 

Do keep moving your body, and in ways that you enjoy. 

Roz Donovan, ND, is a graduate of National University of Natural Medicine, with a doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine. Throughout her doctoral studies, Dr. Donovan received hands-on training from herbalists and a botanist, while also interning in mental health, environmental medicine, pediatrics and general medicine. Her advanced training mentorships focused on traumatic brain injury and gastrointestinal health.

Dr. Donovan’s blog posts are for educational purposes only and are not intended as medical advice. Please consult with your health care practitioner for personalized guidance. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Donovan, visit the Schedule tab at the top of the page.

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