Personal Fitness for You

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Personal Fitness for You

• By
• Roberta Stokes Sandy Schultz
• Hunter Textbooks, Inc.

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Chapter Ten

• Handling Stress

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What is Stress?

• A nonspecific response of the body to any demand
  upon it.
• The body will react in a similar manner whether
  the stress is good (positive) or bad (negative).

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What Causes Stress?

• Stressors cause stress.
• Positive stress is eustress.
• Negative stress is distress.
• Response to stress varies from individual to
  individual.

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Types of Stressors

• Psychological - love, fear, anxiety
• Environment - excessive heat, cold, noise,
  overcrowding
• Social - personal relationships, family problems,
  loneliness, discrimination
• Physiological - illness, injuries, fatigue,
  drugs, foods such as caffeine, salt, sugar and
  alcohol

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Bodys Reaction to Stress
Level 1 - The Alarm Stage - Body prepares for
fight or flight

• Increase in heart rate and respiration rate
• Increase in blood pressure
• Elevation in blood sugar level
• Increase in muscular tension
• Increase in perspiration
• Sharpening of senses
• Digestion slows down

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Bodys Reaction to Stress
Level 2 - The Resistance Stage - Body attempts
to adjust to the stressor and return to normal

• Heart rate and respiration rate decrease
• Hormones secreted which give the body the energy
  to cope with the stressor
• If intense or long-term stress exhausts the
  amount of energy available and the problem
  persists, the body enters the third stage of
  stress.

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Bodys Reaction to Stress
Level 3 - The Exhaustion Stage - potential for
disease

• If stress continues long enough, and your body
  cannot cope with it, you may suffer short term or
  long term effects of stress.

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Effects of Stress
Short Term Stress headaches, diarrhea,
dizziness, and fatigue
Long Term Stress may affect the heart, blood
pressure, stomach, muscles and joints - may cause
severe headaches, depression and fatigue.
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Preventing Coping with Stress

• Keep things in perspective
• Practice assertive behavior
• Establish challenging and attainable goals
• Learn time management
• Limit certain foods
• Share your stress
• Learn stress diversion activities
• Use exercise to reduce stress

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Additional Coping Strategies

• Meditation
• Deep breathing
• Imagery
• Progressive muscle relaxation

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Avoiding Negative Coping Strategies

• Too much alcohol
• Too much television
• Dependence on chemicals or drugs
• Tobacco use
• Withdrawal or avoidance
• Excessive gambling
• Overspending

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Exercise and Stress Reduction

• Muscle relaxation
• Improved digestion
• Reinforced self-esteem and better self-image
• Increased physical endurance
• Increased muscular strength
• Decreased heart rate and blood pressure
• More blood pumped per heart beat
• Increased oxygen intake
• Increased energy reserve