Yes! Exercise can help you if you're stressed and exhausted.

It has been widely documented that regular physical activity can decrease depression; stress levels and increase general wellbeing. Numerous studies have proven the physiological and psychological benefits of regular physical activity on our mental state.

So, we know that exercise can help you manage stress but this all depends upon the level of stress you are under and the amount of time you have been stressed.

Following a period of excessive stress we can suffer from adrenal fatigue. Which is, in basic terms, a condition that results when our adrenal glands fail to meet the demands placed upon them. (Adrenal glands produce numerous hormones that impact our development and growth, affect our ability to deal with stress, and help to regulate kidney function).

There are different levels of adrenal fatigue and most of us have been affected at one time or another from stage one which could be produced from a busy ‘week from hell’ at work or an uncomfortable situation with a partner or loved one. This would typically manifest itself as becoming anxious or flustered quickly, feeling exhausted in the evening or being ‘jumpy’ at sudden movements or loud noises. These symptoms should dissipate as soon as the stressful situation is removed and the individual can return to normal and regular exercise and therefore gain the benefits associated with regular activity.

However, if you have been extremely stressed for a long period of time then you might find yourself entering into the next stages of adrenal fatigue. This is when the stress hormone Cortisol’s production becomes affected; individuals become tense, get sick easily, feel tired and unmotivated and eventually after a prolonged period of stress this could lead to sleeplessness and lack of functionality throughout the day. In these extreme cases heavy and or long periods of exercise should be completely halted for six to eight weeks in order to let the body heal and hormone levels return to normal. I would advise low intensity activities such as deep breathing, gentle forms of Yoga, corrective stretching, Tai – Chi and easy pace walking during this time.

It would be advisable to get medical advice to check the stress levels in your body before returning to harder physical activity.

In summary, typical stress suffered over short periods of time can be helped with harder regular exercise but individuals suffering more prolonged periods of stress (as described above) need to proceed with caution, slow down and embark upon much lower levels of intensity during physical activity.