By Cara Merak, BSN, RN, CFNC
Your body is constantly sending you signals—subtle cues about what it needs – but learning to decode those messages is a skill that needs to be honed.
You know those days when you feel unstoppable in the gym, crushing every rep, and others when even tying your shoes feels like enough for the day? Those are insights into what your body is going through. Understanding your body’s response to stressors (like exercise) can make the difference between your workouts leaving you feeling energized or drained.
Meet Your Adrenals: Your Personal Stress Managers
Your adrenal glands (those tiny but mighty glands sitting right above your kidneys) release cortisol whenever they sense stress. Whether you’re lifting heavy, dealing with emotional turmoil, or even battling underlying issues like infections, gut inflammation, or nutrient deficiencies, your body responds by boosting cortisol. A quick spike of cortisol can be fantastic—it wakes you up, powers your workouts, and gives you that satisfying “I crushed it!” feeling. But ongoing stress from relentless high-intensity training, emotional stress, chronic infections, or nutritional gaps can keep cortisol elevated, leading to fatigue, stubborn belly fat, restless sleep, and slow recovery. [1]
Signs You’re Overtraining (aka Your Adrenals Need a Break!)
Always going hard without proper rest keeps cortisol chronically elevated. That can leave you feeling wiped out, cranky, sore, and stuck with stubborn weight gain .[2] On the flip side, chronic stress might drain your adrenals to the point where they can’t produce enough cortisol when you actually need it, leaving you with that “tired but wired” syndrome!
Match Your Workout to Your Body’s Needs
You don’t want zero cortisol—you want balance. Different workouts influence your hormones differently:
1. Strength Training (the slow and steady hero): Builds muscle, boosts testosterone, and growth hormones, balancing cortisol over time. The magic of strength training happens during recovery, so prioritize active relaxation, protein, and sleep.[3]
2. HIIT (fun but fierce): Quick, intense, and effective for endurance and fat loss. However, it dramatically spikes cortisol. If you’re already stressed, limit these
intense sessions to just once or twice a week.[4]
3. Endurance Cardio (the steady friend): Moderate cardio lowers stress and cortisol long-term. But too intense or prolonged sessions can have the opposite effect. Keep it enjoyable and moderate.[4]
4. Restorative Movement (your cortisol-calming bestie): Yoga, stretching, and leisurely walks activate your body’s calming response, lowering cortisol and improving recovery.[4]
Real-Life Tips for Happy Hormones
1. Nourish your body: Eat balanced meals rich in protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates. Nutrient-dense foods stabilize blood sugar, support adrenal function, and keep cortisol in check.
2. Prioritize sleep: Quality sleep is your body’s natural cortisol regulator. Aim for 7–9 hours of restful sleep nightly.
3. Manage your stress daily: Practices like meditation, breathing exercises, or
even journaling can significantly reduce stress and cortisol levels.
4. Supplement wisely: Consider adaptogens like ashwagandha, or supplements
like magnesium and vitamin C, to support adrenal function and stress resilience.But work with a functional medicine practitioner to make sure you’re supplementing with intention.
5. Respect your recovery days: Rest isn’t lazy—it’s essential for results, recovery,and lasting health.
6. Train strategically: Hit your intense workouts early when cortisol naturally peaks. Save gentle movements for evenings.
7. Choose joyful movement: Do activities you love. Enjoyment reduces stress, optimizes your hormones, and boosts consistency.
Exercise should uplift and energize, not drain you. By respecting your cortisol rhythms and balancing workouts with recovery, you’ll boost your energy, enhance results, and actually enjoy the journey (which is actually possible, BTW!)
In a nutshell: Unscripted Clinic
Your body isn’t broken, and burnout isn’t the price of success. You’re already putting in the work, fine-tuning your training and dialing in your exercise routine. But what about the rest of your life—the recovery, the nutrition, the habits that make all that hard work pay off? That’s where I come in.
I’m Cara Merak, a nurse, functional health coach, and owner of Unscripted Clinic where I help people get to the root of what’s holding them back—whether it’s gut health, hormone imbalances, or chronic inflammation—so they can feel strong, energized, and balanced every day. If you’re ready to support your body beyond the gym, let’s build a plan that works for you, not against you. Because optimal health isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing what actually works for your body.
Learn more about us at unscriptedclinic.com
Cara Merak, BSN, RN, CFNC
Nurse | Functional Health Coach | Owner, Unscripted Clinic
References:
[1] Wilson, J.L. (2001). Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome. Smart Publications.
[2] Sapolsky, R. (2004). Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers. Holt Paperbacks.
[3] Hyman, M. (2023). Young Forever: The Secrets to Living Your Longest, Healthiest Life. Little, Brown
Spark.
[4] Li, A.W., & Goldsmith, C.A. (2012). The effects of yoga on anxiety and stress. Alternative Medicine
Review, 17(1),