Is there such a thing as good stress?
We often talk about the negative health effects of stress, but did you know there’s actually such a thing as good stress? It’s true!
While psychological stress can be bad for you, physical stressors are actually important for building a strong and resilient body. The human body thrives in a dynamic environment and is highly adaptable. Challenging the body with various factors to which it has to adapt actually helps to activate our healing systems. This process is called hormesis.
What is hormesis?
Hormesis is the process of cells adapting to occasional moderate stress. Think of hormetic stress like mini adversities that help to activate your body’s longevity pathways.
One type of hormetic stress is lack of food. Throughout history humans have proved themselves very capable of going through extended periods of food scarcity. While starvation would obviously be terrible long-term, going without food for short periods (such as intermittent fasting) serves as a mild stressor that helps jumpstart the body’s ability to repair.
What are “good” stressors?
In small doses, hormetic stressors have the power to improve tissue repair, support healthy metabolism, and lower inflammation. Here are our 3 favorite “good” stressors that are easily incorporated into a modern lifestyle:
Strength training: When you build muscle, you’re actually first breaking down muscle which then has to repair itself. In that repair process, it comes back stronger and more capable.
Heat exposure: Saunas are a wonderful way to promote detox. The heat of the sauna will simulate a mini fever in your body, which in turn increases your sweat production and flushes toxins out of your body.
Intermittent fasting: Going for an extended period of time without food is a great way to give your digestion a break and the chance to regenerate. Consider fasting occasionally to take advantage of this benefit.
While some stress is indeed bad for your health, there is such a thing as good stress that makes the body stronger! Utilize these good stressors to build a better body.
