RachelKonigrsk639

2/18/2015
ReportingWords,Quigley
HowDoYouDestress?
Thelibraryisahighstrungnightmareasstudentspreparefortheirfirstroundofexams.
Tomanagestress,somestudentschugcoffeeandRedBull;somepopAdderallorother
amphetamines,buttheremaybeahealthieralternative.
Physicalactivityisagreatcopingmechanismforstress,Dr.DavidAlmeida,
professorandresearcherofhumandevelopmentandfamilystudiesatPennState
University,toldasmallcrowdofgraduatestudentsandprofessorsonJan.30atthe
UniversityofTexasatAustin.
Almeidasresearchaboutcopingmechanismsdoesnotfocusonpreventingstress,butit
doesfocusonfindingwaystocontrolstress.
Mymoneyisonphysicalactivity,Dr.Almeidasaid.Ourbodieshaveevolvedso
whenwefaceachallengeandourcortisolraises,ourresponseshouldbetoreleasethat
energy.
Cortisolisthehormoneresponsibleforenergychanges,Almeidaexplained.Itregulates
bodilyfunctionsrangingfromglucoseproduction,toheartrateandbloodpressure
changes.Exerciseisahealthystressorthatreleasesenergyasitregulatesandlowers
cortisollevels,hesaid.
KatherineBrooks,aUTvolleyballplayerandjuniorjournalismstudent,saidsheknows
theeffectsofstressalltoowell.
It'salmostironic,Brookssaid.Therigorousschedulesurroundingmysportcanbea
hugesourceofstress,butatthesametimeactuallyplayingisdefinitelymybiggeststress
reliever.
ThewayBrooksfindsstressrelieforhowsomeonereactstostressiscalledstress
reactivity.
Stressreactivityyouwoulddefineasthepercentagechangeinamarkerofstress
suchashormonalresponse,ormoodresponse,whateveritis,duringastressfulevent,
Dr.JohnBartholomew,professorintheDepartmentofKinesiologyandHealthEducation
atUT,explains.

Almeidasresearchshowsthatexercisenotonlyservesasadistractionfromstress,but
alsothatpeoplewhoexerciseseemtohavelowerlevelsofcortisolondaystheyexercise
versusdaystheydont.
Brooksdescribedthelastthingsheseeswhensheexitsthewomenslockerroombefore
steppingonthecourt:atanpieceoftapewiththewordsluggagedropwritteninblack
Sharpie.Thispieceoftapeistheretoremindeachplayertodropanydistractionsor
stressorsfortheday.
Thisisareminderforme,Brookssaid.EverydaywhenIwalkintothegymthat,in
thisplace,thereisnooutsidestressfromschool,relationshipsoranythingelsejust
competitionandhardwork.
SOURCES:
DavidAlmeida
dalmeida@psu.edu
8148652656
http://www.hhd.psu.edu/hdfs/directory/Bio.aspx?id=DavidAlmeida
Found that he was speaking on the events calendar on the UT website. His Email
and phone number were provided in the link above.
JohnBartholomew
jbart@austin.utexas.edu
512-232-6021
I found Dr. Barts information on the expertise page on the UT website.
KatBrooks
katxbrooks@gmail.com
8082287113
Myfriend,Corey,isfriendswithKatandputmeincontactwithher.