On the phone to Outrun Your Fork – But That Doesn’t Mean Exercise Can’t Help You Lose Weight or Change Your Diet

Exercise also helps reduce stress

When people are stressed, the body releases a hormone called cortisol, which activates what is known as the fight:or-flight response. When cortisol levels are high, the brain thinks it needs more fuel, resulting in increased cravings for sugary or salty ultra-processed foods.

Participation in regular exercise or a single bout of exercise reduces perceived stress levels and cortisol levels. Exercise also helps reduce unhealthy drink and food consumption when individuals are stressed.

Stress can also impact how the brain functions. Research has shown that stress can result in decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex and increased activity in reward regions of the brain when looking at pictures of food. This makes it harder to resist the temptation of appealing junk foods.

By offsetting the impact of stress on prefrontal brain function, exercise makes it easier to maintain your goals of healthier eating or reducing junk food consumption. Twenty minutes of brisk walking can help the prefrontal cortex recover from temporary changes in activity, like the ones seen when people are stressed.

Next time you are feeling stressed, try going for a brisk 20-minute walk. It could prevent you from stress-eating.

What exercise is best?

Researchers often get asked what is the best exercise and how much exercise to do.

At the end of the day, the best exercise is one you enjoy and can sustain over time. High-intensity interval training (HIIT), aerobic exercise, meditation and mindfulness, yoga and strength training are all effective in helping improve diet by targeting prefrontal brain function and reducing stress.

If you are beginning a new exercise routine this new year, ease into it, be kind to yourself, listen to your entire body and remember that a little goes a long way.

Cassandra J. Lowe, Postdoctoral Fellow, The Brain and Mind Institute, Department of Psychology, Western University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the particular original article.