Another Stress Effect

Most people know that stress can increase your blood pressure and therefore harm your heart and overall health, but research shows that stress by itself increases your cholesterol as well.  Recently published research confirms previous results that showed an increase in cholesterol right after a stressful event. The theory is that the body mobilizes energy-producing (and cholesterol-raising) fats in response to danger. This all makes perfect sense. What the new research shows goes one step further: those individuals who had the highest immediate increase in their cholesterol showed sustained higher cholesterol levels three years after the study. This suggests that their bodies got accustomed to mobilizing fat and, over time, their stress actually caused them to have “permanent” high cholesterol.

So the long list of reasons to control your stress (increased blood pressure, decreased immunity, ulcers/digestive disorders, depression, etc.) just got even longer. And what better way to consistently control stress than to be involved in the Martial Arts? The Martial Arts not only provides the stress-control benefits of any physical activity, but also adds relaxation techniques and mental components, making it a complete mind-body experience. Add to that the social aspects of the Martial Arts and you have an activity that can provide a lifelong contribution to optimal health.

If you or members of your family have stressful lives, you need to address it early and completely. Avoiding high stress situations is certainly an important component, but one that, in this day and age, is difficult to accomplish. Your reaction to stress is what causes the negative effects, so you must learn how to control your reaction to it. As research indicates, you should learn good stress reduction behaviors early in your life, since the benefits will be realized immediately, and years later as well.