Is your movement so tense and rigid that it is difficult to execute techniques?
Do you ever feel so stressed that your breathing gets shallow, your heart rate increases rapidly, and you get light-headed?
The good news is that your body has developed useful mechanisms to keep you safe. However, the same fight-flight-freeze reactions that might have been beneficial thousands of years ago can be detrimental in modern society. One of the biggest examples is the physiological response of stress.
The Benefits of Exercise-Induced Stress
During intense exercise, there is a release of endogenous stress proteins that prime the body's immune system. In other words, exercise boosts the body's ability to defend itself. One research paper wrote, "If one were a gazelle running across a savanna being chased by a lion, your body would experience activation of stress hormones... If you were wounded during the escape, the endogenous stress proteins would prime the innate immune response thus improving the efficiency of the immune response" (M. Fleshner, J. Campisi, & J. Johnson, 14).
Good stress releases small amounts of cortisol that improve memory. For example, if you have ever burned yourself, you can vividly remember the sharp pain and smell of singed flesh. Now you probably avoid similar situations to keep from burning yourself.
In another study, heat-induced stress improved athletic performance. Oxygen consumption was more efficient (increased VO2 max), metabolic rates increased, and the cardiovascular system was enhanced. However, although the body's adaptation towards stress is usually beneficial in short lengths, it is dangerous when it is chronic.
Avoid Distress
Chronic stress, also known as distress, is detrimental to the immune and cardiovascular systems, mental functions, and the aging process. According to a Stanford article, it is important to allow the body to return to a resting state for a sufficient amount of time. Most exercise programs have scheduled recovery days. If you are new to martial arts, try to schedule recovery days in your training regime to avoid overtraining.
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