Jay Luthar<\/a>, MD, a physician who is triple board certified in Internal Medicine, Integrative Medicine, and Lifestyle Medicine. \u201cThe goal of a low-cortisol workout is therefore not to eliminate cortisol, but to choose forms of movement that are less likely to create a large stress response while still improving fitness and well-being.\u201d<\/p>\nDr. Luthar clarifies that cortisol in and of itself is not inherently bad. In fact, the hormone is necessary for survival.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s actually the hormone that gets us up in the morning, and it naturally ebbs and flows throughout the day,\u201d he says. \u201cStill, we live in a world where there are many situations that can increase stress (and cortisol), so there\u2019s a time and a place for low-cortisol workouts.\u201d<\/p>\n
That being said, certain individuals\u2014like myself or those experiencing chronic illness or psychological stress\u2014might benefit more from low-cortisol workouts than high-intensity ones. For example, HIIT, sprints, and other intense, cortisol-spiking workouts often cause more inflammation in my body, which worsens my symptoms.<\/p>\n
\u201cLower-stress forms of exercise are great for people who are already carrying a substantial physiological or psychological stress load,\u201d says Dr. Luthar. \u201cIt\u2019s also a good practice for everyone, regardless of stress levels, to throw in some \u2018low-cortisol workouts\u2019 throughout our week. Even if you prefer high-intensity sessions, these lower-impact, calming workouts can help you recover between sessions and support mental and physical health.<\/p>\n
Examples of Low-Cortisol Workouts<\/h2>\n
Countless options for low-cortisol workouts exist. Dr. Luthar outlined a few of his recommendations below.<\/p>\n
1. Walking<\/h3>\n
Perhaps my favorite form of movement is walking, especially outdoors.<\/p>\n
\u201cA brisk walk is one of the simplest ways to get the benefits of aerobic exercise without the physiological demands of high-intensity training,\u201d says Dr. Luthar. \u201cAim for roughly 20\u201345 minutes at a pace that raises your heart rate but still allows you to carry on a conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n
2. Pilates<\/h3>\n
Another great example of a low-cortisol (yet muscle-building) workout is Pilates. Sure, your heart rate might not be through the roof, but you will certainly feel the burn.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an exercise that\u2019s increasingly popular among my patients,\u201d says Dr. Luthar. \u201cPilates, whether on the mat or reformer machine, is a great way to get in some light resistance training while keeping your heart rate low and triggering as intense a neuro-endocrine stress response.\u201d<\/p>\n
3. Swimming and Water Aerobics<\/h3>\n
According to Dr. Luthar, swimming and water aerobics are both low-cortisol, low-impact\u00a0cardio.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile it provides many of the same heart-health benefits as cycling or running, it\u2019s easier on the joints because it takes place in the water,\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
4. Yoga<\/h3>\n
Another go-to form of movement for me is yoga. While it might not be the most intense workout, yoga offers many health and wellness benefits while still getting your body moving.<\/p>\n
\u201cYoga combines physical movement with breathing, balance, flexibility, and relaxation,\u201d says Dr. Luthar. \u201cIts mind-body focus is particularly important for people looking to reduce stress or anxiety.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As someone who battles autoimmune disease and generally feels worse after any high-intensity workout, I\u2019ve been trying to explore more low-intensity options that still get my body moving. For years, I assumed workouts were only efficient if your heart rate was through the roof and you were drenched in sweat and panting. However, once my […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":406,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-workout"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/405","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=405"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/405\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/406"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=405"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=405"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernfitnessguide.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}