The Power of Healthy Stress

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At the heart of cliches such as “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” and “No pain, no gain” is the idea that short bursts of specific stress can help slow aging and build resilience, both physically and emotionally. We asked Cedars-Sinai doctors: Is stress ever healthy?

“We know that chronic stress from working long hours, financial hardships, poor sleep and charged relationships are detrimental to your health,” said Tracy Zaslow, MD, a primary care sports medicine physician at Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics. “But in small, controlled doses, certain bodily stressors trigger a cascade of cellular changes that promote health.”

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What Is Hormesis?

Hormesis happens when your body becomes stronger after being exposed to a moderate, and usually intermittent, stress. Unlike chronic stress, which can damage your health, hormetic stressors encourage your body’s natural healing processes.

“Hormesis is a common thread underlying health trends that deliver a dose of discomfort for a limited period of time—things like high-intensity exercise, extreme temperatures, even deep breathing,” said Supreet Chahal, MD, an internal medicine specialist at Cedars-Sinai.

Cell-Deep Healing

Hormesis works by stimulating repair and renewal in your body at the cellular level. Many hormetic stressors generate low levels of free radicals—unstable oxygen molecules—in the body. You’ve probably heard free radicals are bad for you, and that’s true, but in short, controlled doses they actually stimulate a healing response.

Our mitochondria, the energy generator for our cells, replicate themselves when confronted with a small dose of free radicals. That’s a good thing because we tend to lose mitochondria as we age. By stimulating mitochondrial replication, you may boost both short- and long-term health.

“In short, controlled doses, the discomfort of hormetic stressors triggers cellular cleanup and regeneration,” Chahal said.

There’s even evidence to suggest stress effects from one hormetic stressor may help the body adapt to others.

Healthy Stressors

How can you strategically stress yourself out? Here are five expert-approved recommendations:

Amp Up Your Workouts

High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, which alternates 30 seconds of high-intensity bursts followed by 15 seconds of rest, can spark hormesis. “HIIT starves your muscles (briefly) of oxygen, and that stimulates mitochondria production,” Chahal said. You can achieve the same end by adding sprints to your morning jog or hitting an intense spin class.

“In small, controlled doses, certain bodily stressors trigger a cascade of cellular changes that promote health.”

Play With Temperature

Both hot and cold exposure support mitochondria. Studies suggest ice baths, cold showers and exercising in frigid temperatures may help bolster the immune system by stimulating the production of disease-fighting immune cells. Hot temps from saunas, hot baths and hot yoga may produce similar effects. Consider alternating between cold and hot temps for maximum benefit.

Try Periodic Fasting

Whether you fast intermittently or extend your overnight fast by a few hours, withholding food triggers a cellular cleanup process called autophagy. Research links autophagy to reduced cholesterol and blood pressure levels, as well as enhanced health and longevity.

Breathe Deep

Deep breathing can help expand lung capacity and stimulate your body’s recovery systems. “Breath-holding induces mild hypoxia (decreased oxygen), which increases cell production and overall oxygen capacity,” Chahal said. Not into holding your breath? Try box breathing: Inhale through the nose for a count of four, hold for four, exhale through your mouth for four, hold for four, then repeat.

Mind Games

Mental challenges—such as learning a new language or sport—stimulate brain pathways that boost cognition and generate a protein that supports the growth and survival of neurons: brain-derived neurotrophic factor. The caveat: Mental stressors need to be manageable. Otherwise, they quickly can become toxic.