Reply To: Feeling "In Trouble" Most of the time

[Patte Rosebank]

@Pigmonkey, those butterflies are your body’s “fight or flight” hormones kicking in.  You’re getting a rush of adrenaline and cortisol, so you can outrun that sabre-tooth tiger or angry mammoth that’s chasing you.

However, in a world where you’re more likely to be worrying about that upcoming exam, or meeting with your boss, or tackling your taxes, than out-running a ferocious animal, those hormones are bad news.  They do a number on your brain, and they do a number on your body.  Especially cortisol.

You’re not burning up those hormones by running for your life, so they’re just keeping you in a permanent state of stress, raising your blood pressure & pulse rate, increasing your belly fat (and risk of diabetes), and all sorts of other unpleasant things.

Exercise can burn off those stress-hormones, which is why you often feel so much calmer and happier after you’ve worked out, or even just gone for a brisk walk.  And I say that as someone who’s getting in the habit of biking 5 or 10 miles in spurts throughout the day (in front of the TV, so I can do it, whatever the weather), and who has just finished a lovely 3-mile walk, after a very productive visit to the ADHD clinic!

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