Tag: fitnesstip

Tuesday Tip: Cortisol and Belly Fat 😓

Cortisol makes you gain belly fat is a common myth. The idea is that the stress hormone causes stubborn belly fat and therefore we should avoid cortisol ‘spikes’ at all costs (which translates to suggestions to avoid certain workouts etc), but is that really the truth?

Cortisol is essential. It helps regulate energy, inflammation, and even fat metabolism. Levels naturally rise and fall throughout the day, with a large spike in the morning (part of your circadian rhythm) and smaller increases during activity or stress. Research shows these short-term rises are not harmful, they’re protective and necessary. Exercise, fasting, even drinking coffee trigger temporary cortisol increases, and that’s a good thing. These transient spikes mobilize stored fuel and support recovery. If cortisol alone caused belly fat, athletes and early risers would all struggle with weight gain, which clearly isn’t the case.

So where does the belly fat myth come from? Chronic stress or Long-term elevated cortisol has been linked to appetite changes, sleep disruption, and overeating. But importantly, cortisol doesn’t directly add fat to your stomach. Instead, chronic stress often leads to behaviors like late-night eating, less activity, poor sleep etc that add up over time. The hormone plays a role, but it’s not acting in isolation.

Some also claim exercise spikes cortisol and therefore makes fat loss harder. Acute exercise-induced cortisol is good – studies show that long-term training actually lowers resting cortisol levels and improves stress resilience. So workouts don’t make you fat, they make you fitter and more stress-tolerant.

Remember – cortisol spikes are normal and often beneficial. Chronic stress may influence weight, but mostly via the habits it can create, not hormones alone. Exercise helps regulate cortisol long-term. If you’re concerned about ongoing stress or health issues, consult your doctor—not social media.

Stressing about cortisol is more harmful than the hormone itself.

Happy Tuesday 🤗
xx

Tuesday Tip: How to be healthy 🥗

The health and wellness industry loves to sell you the idea that to be healthy you need cold plunges,infrared light, expensive trackers, trendy supplements etc . But the truth? You only need to nail a few basics to cover most of your health and fitness needs.

# Reduce bodyfat and build muscle

Too much body fat raises health risks, but you don’t need to be shredded. Research shows the lowest mortality risk is around 20- 22% body fat for men and 25-30% for women, which is quite attainable. Also vital is building and keeping muscle as it supports metabolic health and helps prevent age-related weakness.

# Move more
Sitting for 10+ hours a day can raise your risk of death by up to 192%. Even light movement, walking, household chores etc adds up. Around 7–9000 steps a day is a great target but it depends what your baseline is – something beats nothing.

# Eat mostly well
Eat a balanced diet including protein, carbs, fruit/veg and plenty of whole foods. Include healthy fats and enough fibre too (around 14g per 1000 calories). It’s fine to have sugar/junk food – just have it in moderation.

# Don’t overdo the booze
The idea that a little alcohol is healthy is false. Health risks rise with ANY consumption of alcohol. It’s one of the few actual carcinogens (cancer causing) foodstuffs. The less, the better.

# Prioritise sleep—especially regular sleep
Short sleep is linked to higher health risks, but this is often also linked to high stress and poor diet it’s hard to tease apart the biggest risks. Regular exercise can offset some harm of short sleep. Sleep regularity (consistent wake/bed times) may be more important than total hours.

You don’t need a magic hack to be healthy. Move your body, lift some weights, eat sensibly, keep alcohol low, and get consistent sleep. Do that, and you can safely ignore 90% of the wellness info online.

Happy Tuesday 🤗
Xx

Tuesday Tip: Walking in Weighted Vests 🏋️‍♂️

Another month another social media fad – walking in weighted vests are the latest thing fitness influencers claim are essential. Now whilst a weighted vest can make a walk feel a bit tougher, it’s not the muscle-building, fat-burning, bone-strengthening miracle some influencers make it out to be.

Let’s look at the claims. It claims to effectively build muscle. Wearing a vest doesn’t come close to traditional resistance training. It might offer a slight challenge for beginners, but for real gains, you need proper lifting with progressive overload. Could you do squats, lunges, and jumps with a vest – yes sure but it won’t help with moves like deadlifts, presses, and rows etc.

They claim it improves bone density, however studies show that even when worn for over 7 hours a day, the impact on bone density is minimal. Exercise itself is the real driver behind stronger bones.

What about increasing fat loss? Wearing a weighted vest might increase calorie burn slightly (about 1 extra calorie per minute while running with 10% bodyweight), but to see any meaningful fat loss effect, you’d m need to wear it for 8+ hours a day, which also increases the risk of back pain and injury. That’s a steep trade, off for a tiny reward.

So in short

⁃ Walking with a weighted vest is not a fat loss hack

⁃ It won’t build muscle or strengthen bones on its own

⁃ It can add variety or intensity to your walks or bodyweight workouts for some exercises.

If wearing one makes your walk more enjoyable, go for it! All movement is good movement. But if your goal is meaningful fat loss or strength, stick to what works: lift weights, move consistently, adjust your nutrition, and stay patient.

No trendy shortcut can replace the basics. Don’t let social media ‘experts’ derail your progress.

Happy Tuesday 🤗
Xx