Stress out? Do some push ups

I remember as a kid that my wrestling coach always insisted that we practice during final exam periods while most of the other teams were given time off to 'study'. Most of my fellow teammates were stress about missing the time to study but Hutch (my coach) was adamant that it would help us blow off steam and study better (side note: it is hard to blow off steam when you are working out in a room that is steaming!!)

A study from PLoS ONE shows that Hutch was right and exercise does help deal with stress.

...the women who engaged in brief vigorous physical activity -- at least 40 minutes over the three-day study period -- and were stressed had longer telomeres than their inactive, stressed-out counterparts. The authors conclude that 13 minutes or more of vigorous exercise daily appears to be the critical amount correlated with longer telomeres.

“Physical activity is so good for you and stress is bad for you, but the new study shows the stress-buffering effects of physical activity in those who are chronically stressed,” says study author Eli Puterman, PhD, a health psychologist at the University of California at San Francisco.

When life gets stressful often times your fat loss training will take a back seat to vegging on the couch at the end of a long day. Don't get sucked into the couch. Take the extra effort and get in your workouts. Your body will thank you.

Exercise May Buffer Effects of Stress [WebMD]