#14: Elevated cortisol: how it can hold you back, and how to workout to reduce chronic cortisol Fit Body, Happy Joints ®

If you feel like you’re doing everything right - putting in work at the gym, you’re trying to eat less, and still not seeing results - it COULD be because of cortisol imbalance. In this episode, I want to explain how too much exercise and too little eating can have the reverse effects that you’re hoping for because of potentially messing with your cortisol and hormonal balance. 

One of my goals, which I hope is evident by my content, is to encourage people to get away from the damaging “grind yourself into the ground if you want to look good” mentality. Not only do I believe this is damaging to our body image, joints, and mental health, but it doesn’t work for most people long-term, and one of those reasons is related to cortisol.

3:04  What is Cortisol?
7:30  The Role Cortisol Plays in Your Body
12:04  Cortisol’s Relationship to Body Composition 
14:07  Insulin and Insulin Resistance 
19:27  How Lower Intensity Workouts Can Help Blood Sugar Levels
24:59  How Much Exercise Is Too Much? 
32:07  Symptoms of Elevated Cortisol 
36:14  Tips For Balancing Cortisol Levels