OK, a little engineering humor. Stress is the applied force, and strain is the resulting deformation. So it isn’t the stress that gets you, it’s your strain that’s harmful. In the category that a little is good, a lot is bad, put stress according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health. They claim that stress responses can make people more susceptible to infection, constricted arteries, weakened muscles and thinner bones, as well as a greater tendency to a spare tire around the abdomen due to increased insulin levels. I can say from my own experience when I’m feeling the strain I’m more susceptible to illness, my cholesterol levels go up, and I put on weight. The problem is, I generally don’t have any control over the stress – I can only work on feeling less of the strain.
Posts Tagged health
Exercise isn’t just good for your muscles and heart – it’s good for your brain, too. One thing that’s struck me about aging (now that I’m feeling the effects) is how the maintenance requirements just keep increasing. One way to stay young is through exercise. Not only does it keep your muscles from atrophy, it keeps your brain from atrophy. Aerobic exercise is best for your cardiovascular system and your brain. Researchers can measure this both functionally through cognitive testing and also physically. People who exercise don’t lose as much grey matter (neurons and support cells) or white matter (myelin sheaths) as they age than people who don’t exercise. So people, let’s get walking out there! We don’t want our brains to shrivel up.
