For many of us, regular exercise is a natural and integral part of our lives. It’s something we look forward to and hopefully feel good about afterwards. And it has tons of benefits like improving cardiovascular function, bone strength, weight, brain health, mood and more.

You may think that the longer and more challenging an exercise workout is, the better. But that’s actually not the case in at least one important respect. Yes, there can be too much of a good thing.

A Powerful Hormone

It has to do with the stress hormone called cortisol, a steroid. It’s the stuff that triggers the fight-or-flight response in the human body. Under normal conditions, it is released by the adrenal glands on a schedule typically aligned with our sleep cycle with a peak in the early morning as we wake up.

Cortisol’s effects are meant to be short-lived in response to a threat. When triggered, it sets off a series of physiological reactions like releasing glucose into the blood as fuel for the brain. At the same time some “nonessential” functions like reproduction and digestion are suppressed.

Everything in Moderation

Exercise and cortisol are natural companions. But extreme activity for an extended period of time can be damaging, since the effects can include:

• Breaking down tissue to produce energy
• Slowing down the metabolism
• Reducing libido and fertility
• Setting your body up for potential injury
• Stimulating the storage of fat
• Negatively impacting blood sugar and calcium

Because the body feels exercise as stress, which of course it’s supposed to be when done correctly, prolonged and intense exercise can produce these unwanted impacts. Luckily, cortisol levels can start getting back to normal about 15 minutes after a workout.

These negatives can also be aggravated by exercising when nutritional levels are low. And, interestingly, early mornings may not be the best time for a workout since it’s the time of day when cortisol levels may already be naturally elevated as we mentioned above.

However, people can have different cortisol release patterns which should be correlated to the timing of exercise. Not keeping these in sync can result in higher increases in cortisol after a workout.

Staying in Balance

It’s now become clear that a less intense approach to exercise is actually more productive, in addition to being healthier overall. Alternatives to the “burn” approach and some best practices include:

• Shorter training sessions overall
• Longer rest and recovery periods
• High-intensity, low-impact workouts
• Mixed activities that include strength training along with yoga or dance
• Classes with stretching only
• Workout schedules moderated to personal tolerances
• Consciousness of pushing the body too far
• Eating carbs and protein post-workout

Along with yoga and Pilates, other lower intensity exercises include walking, slow jogging and swimming.

Developing an overall state of mindfulness can also reduce cortisol with additional benefits in terms of blood pressure, heart rate and triglyceride levels. A related technique is called “intuitive movement” or “intuitive exercise.” It involves the ability, over time, to accurately sense the right time for exercise, which could be different from day to day.

Has the world of high-tech gotten involved? Of course! A few gear examples for recovery are cryotherapy tanks, handheld massage devices, and electrical dots on the skin to stimulate muscles.

Put Cortisol to Work for You

The good news here is that an appropriate fitness routine can actually improve the body’s ability to deal with stress. The results can be a reduced release of the hormone under physical stress and even under emotional or psychological strain.

But if you feel totally wiped out after exercising and have a hard time recovering, you may want to talk with your physician. You may need to address your body’s response to cortisol and adapt your fitness routine accordingly.

The idea is to find the cortisol-conscious workouts that are best for you.