Why Training Helps Manage Stress (And Why Skipping It Often Makes Stress Worse)

When life gets busy or stressful, exercise is often the first thing to go — even though it’s one of the things that helps most.

I see this all the time.

Work ramps up. Family stuff piles on. Sleep drops off. Stress creeps in.

And suddenly the gym feels like “one more thing” you just don’t have the capacity for.

So training gets skipped.

Then skipped again.

And before you know it, weeks have gone by.

The frustrating part?

Most people don’t feel less stressed when they stop training.

They feel worse.

Tighter.

More wired.

More tired.

Less patient.

More overwhelmed.

And they usually blame themselves for it.

But here’s the truth I want you to hear straight away:

If training drops off when stress rises, that’s not a discipline problem.

That’s a nervous system problem.

And it’s something we can work with — not fight against.

I first came across this while studying on an Army Tactics Course. I was stressed and because of this I had barely passed my last test. I was told not to study harder but instead go for a long run. Which I did, and as a result I aced my test the next day.

WHAT STRESS ACTUALLY IS (NOT JUST “BEING BUSY”)

Stress isn’t just having a lot on.

Stress is what happens inside your body when demands outweigh your perceived ability to cope.

Your nervous system doesn’t really care if the stress is:

- work deadlines

- financial pressure

- family responsibilities

- relationship stuff

- lack of sleep

- constant notifications

- or just never getting a proper break

It all gets processed the same way.

When stress stays high for too long, your body stays in a heightened state of alert.

This shows up as:

- muscle tension

- shallow breathing

- poor sleep

- irritability

- racing thoughts

- fatigue but feeling “wired”

- loss of motivation

Sound familiar?

This is where training becomes incredibly powerful — when it’s done the right way.

WHY TRAINING HELPS MANAGE STRESS (FROM THE INSIDE OUT)

Training doesn’t just “burn off stress.”

It changes how your body and brain respond to stress.

Let’s break this down in plain English.

1. Training helps regulate your stress hormones

When you’re stressed, cortisol and adrenaline stay elevated.

Short-term, that’s helpful.

Long-term, it’s exhausting.

Regular exercise helps regulate baseline cortisol levels, meaning your stress response becomes more appropriate instead of constantly switched on (Heijnen et al., 2016).

In real life, this means:

- you calm down faster

- small things don’t tip you over as easily

- you feel less constantly on edge

2. Training gives your nervous system a safe outlet

Stress creates physical energy in the body.

If it doesn’t go anywhere, it gets stuck.

That’s when people feel restless, tense, or unable to switch off.

Training gives that energy somewhere to go — safely.

Your body completes the stress response cycle instead of staying half-finished.

3. Training improves sleep (which reduces stress even more)

This one’s huge.

Stress messes with sleep.

Poor sleep increases stress.

And round and round it goes.

Regular physical activity improves sleep quality and duration, which in turn improves stress resilience (Kredlow et al., 2015).

Better sleep = better stress tolerance.

Simple, but powerful.

I have had clients improve their sleep, and increase their ability to deal with stress, simply by exercising two to three times per week.

WHY SKIPPING TRAINING OFTEN MAKES STRESS WORSE

This is the part people don’t expect.

When training drops off completely during stressful periods, a few things usually happen:

1. Your body loses one of its main stress regulators

Movement is one of the fastest ways to bring the nervous system back toward balance.

Without it, stress hormones stay elevated for longer.

2. You lose a sense of control

Stress often comes from feeling like everything is happening to you.

Training is one of the few things you can actively choose.

When that disappears, people often feel more helpless and overwhelmed.

3. Physical tension builds up

Without regular movement, muscles stay tight.

Breathing stays shallow.

The body stays braced.

That physical tension feeds mental stress.

4. Guilt sneaks in

People often beat themselves up for “falling off track.”

That guilt adds another layer of stress — and makes it harder to restart.

This is why I’m very careful about how I coach people through stressful seasons.

MY COACHING PHILOSOPHY: ADAPT, DON’T ABANDON

One of the biggest things I teach clients is this:

Stressful seasons don’t mean you stop training.

They mean you change how you train.

My coaching philosophy is built around a few key ideas:

1. Training should support your nervous system, not smash it

When stress is high, intensity usually needs to come down.

That doesn’t mean stopping.

It means adjusting.

2. Something is always better than nothing

A shorter session.

A lighter session.

A walk instead of lifting.

Keeping the habit alive matters more than chasing performance.

3. Training is self-regulation, not self-punishment

If training feels like another thing you’re failing at, it’s set up wrong.

Especially for people managing anxiety or burnout, training should be grounding, not overwhelming.

WHAT TRAINING SHOULD LOOK LIKE WHEN STRESS IS HIGH

This is where a lot of people go wrong.

When stress is high, the goal of training is not:

- personal bests

- smashing yourself

- pushing through exhaustion

The goal is:

- regulating your nervous system

- maintaining routine

- releasing tension

- protecting your mental health

Some of the most stress-friendly options include:

- walking (especially outdoors)

- moderate strength training

- steady cardio (not all-out)

- circuits with plenty of rest

- breathing-focused movement

For many of my clients in Upper Hutt, this might look like:

Two solid gym sessions a week.

Plus walking when life allows.

That’s enough to make a meaningful difference.

When having a particularly bad day some people do like to be smashed, and that is also ok. This is when I bring out the boxing pads and we talk and box…but we always finish with a calm wind down at the end of the session.

WHY “I’LL GET BACK INTO IT WHEN LIFE CALMS DOWN” DOESN’T WORK

Life doesn’t really calm down.

It just changes.

If training is only something you do when everything else is perfect, it will always be the first thing to go.

Consistency during stress — even at a reduced level — is what protects you long term.

Research shows that people who maintain some level of physical activity during stressful periods have better mental health outcomes than those who stop completely (Stults-Kolehmainen & Sinha, 2014).

You don’t need more intensity.

You need continuity.

THE LONG-TERM STRESS BUFFER EFFECT OF TRAINING

One of the most underrated benefits of consistent training is that it makes future stress easier to handle.

Regular exercise:

- improves stress resilience

- improves emotional regulation

- improves confidence

- improves perceived coping ability

Over time, people don’t just feel “less stressed.”

They feel more capable.

That shift is massive.

FINAL THOUGHTS

When stress rises, training often feels optional.

But in reality, it becomes more important — just different.

You don’t need to do more.

You don’t need to go harder.

You don’t need to be perfect.

You need to keep showing up in a way your nervous system can handle.

That’s how training helps manage stress.

And that’s why skipping it often makes stress worse.

CITATIONS

Heijnen, S., et al. (2016). Exercise, stress, and the brain.

Kredlow, M. A., et al. (2015). Exercise and sleep quality.

Stults-Kolehmainen, M. A., & Sinha, R. (2014). The effects of stress on physical activity.