aging well has a lot to do with managing your stress
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when we are stressed, our heart and lungs also feel the pressure, and our immune system is suppressed, speeding the aging process. getty
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there is merit to the phrase, ‘you’re only as old as you feel.’
chronological age that is dictated by the calendar is not always the same as your biological age, where advantages like strong immunity and good bone density play a significant role in your health as the years go by.
emerging science is showing the harmful effects of stress on accelerated aging, but the upside is that there’s also evidence pointing to the effectiveness of lifestyle changes, like meditation and deep breathing, to heal from stress and rehabilitate your body.
lisa messina, the founder of the messina movement and certified somatic coach (a practice that focuses on mind-body connection through movement and meditation), sees many clients who are looking for help to heal from past trauma or chronic stress. in her studio in pastoral bloomfield, ont., she guides people virtually and in-person through sessions that incorporate yoga, pilates, meditation and cognitive exercises for self-reflection and growth.
“your biological age may match your chronological age but it can also be higher or lower depending on a variety of different factors, some within our control and others, like genetics, that are largely out of our control. our bodies are beautifully adaptable, we have immense capacity to grow, develop, repair and expand,” says messina, adding that while stress can help build tolerance to the inevitable ups and downs, and increase our capacity to navigate life, it’s the amount and duration of chronic stress which can have negative effect.
when fight-or-flight becomes the norm
stress becomes damaging when the instinctive fight-or-flight stress response to an acute experience continues to be a constant mode of operation, she says, comparing the repetitive pattern to a repetitive strain injury that has detrimental consequences on your biological systems, including the acceleration of disease and aging, and impaired emotional regulation, immunity, hormones and more.
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“if we do the work that helps us feel equipped to manage stress, we feel confident and can access our creativity, empathy, memory and enhance focus,” says messina. “it’s important to know that stress does not look the same, is not felt the same and cannot be processed the same person to person. stress management, like the latest research in nutrition, is not a one-size-fits-all protocol.”
in fact, research by scientists at harvard medical school, recently published in cell metabolism, found that biological age is fluid and fluctuating in both animals and people, but also, that it can be changed by lifestyle habits and environmental exposures, as well as drug treatments.
“the findings imply that severe stress increases mortality, at least in part, by increasing biological age,” vadim gladyshev, senior study author, professor at harvard medical school and director of redox medicine at brigham and women’s hospital in boston, said in a statement. “this notion immediately suggests that mortality may be decreased by reducing biological age and that the ability to recover from stress may be an important determinant of successful aging and longevity.”
medical news today, which reported on the findings, noted that under stress, the body reacts in a number of ways, including increased heart rate and blood pressure, quicker breathing, dilated pupils, increased awareness and observation, and a rush of adrenaline pumping through your body to give you additional strength and energy.
it also produces the cortisol hormone to help sustain that state of alarm to face a threat. the trouble is that when people remain on high alert, those higher levels of cortisol can stress the heart and lungs, increase appetite and the buildup of fat tissue and suppress the immune system. it can also lead to issues with insomnia, anxiety, headaches and muscle tension.
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take time to recover from stress
messina overhauled her own life after sustaining repetitive and chronic injuries, and dealing with digestive issues from ongoing stress. she was a sought-after performer in musical theatre across canada, taking lead roles in productions that ran eight shows a week. to help cope, she turned to pilates and yoga, and took time off from the stage to go to india for yoga teacher certification. the relief of symptoms and empowerment of these lifestyle changes prompted her to shift careers and work in holistic health.
“the body is an incredibly intelligent creation,” she says. “we can adapt and rewire our nervous system through new experiences, regardless of how much stress we’ve endured,” she explains.
her approach in her work now is about equipping people with the tools they need to stimulate that kind of self-healing and vitality.
“when we listen to the body and we create space for sensation, then we can get curious about the experience we’re having as opposed to just the thoughts and stories that we continue to sort of swirl around in,” she says. “our bodies have so much wisdom and so much guidance, if we could just learn to listen.”
karen hawthorne is a toronto-based writer.
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