Fitness

The best exercise for stress – The Australian Women's Weekly

Published

1 year ago

January 20, 2025

The best exercise for stress – The Australian Women's Weekly

When most of us think about exercise, our minds usually conjure up images of running as fast as we can or sweating it out in a gym class.

But slower forms of movement – like walking and stretching – can be just as beneficial, especially when we’re overwhelmed.

High-intensity exercise benefits our overall health, but it causes a steep increase in cortisol levels – the hormones responsible for stress.

It’s undoubtedly good for us, and countless studies have proved that regular movement results in better sleep, lower blood pressure and improved mood, as well as helping to combat health conditions and diseases.

But, when you’re already going a million miles an hour, adding in an early morning gym class could be doing more harm than good. Low-intensity exercise, on the other hand, has the opposite effect. It reduces cortisol levels.

“If you are already fatigued and embark on a workout when your body’s energy reserves are low, exercise can further deplete your energy,” explains naturopath, nutritionist and founder of Edible Beauty, Anna Mitsios.

“Getting up early can be counterproductive as it can induce a stress response, especially if we haven’t had enough sleep to begin with. It can spark a rise in cortisol, which can increase blood sugar levels and, in turn, imbalance hormones.”

You can still move in a healthy, sustainable way that isn’t about trying to reach a marathon finishing line. Image: Getty

Keeping cortisol in check

When you’re exhausted and put your body under additional stress, you’re only adding to your likely already elevated cortisol levels.

Pushing through an intense exercise session can increase cortisol, negatively impacting your immune system, metabolism and mood. And instead of boosting your energy, it could have the reverse effect.

“Rather than getting the benefits of an endorphin rush, exercising while exhausted can further deplete reserves, leading to increased fatigue, which in the end makes you feel more tired,” explains Anna.

What’s more, increased stress and fatigue can impact our immune system, and adding more stress can leave you prone to illness and infection, which is the last thing we need when we’re already drained.

Slow it down – right down

Once upon a time, cortisol gave us a boost of energy to outrun an enemy or animal. Today, however, our cortisol spikes whenever someone cuts us off in traffic or we run late for an appointment. This triggers a stress response that constantly tells our brain that we’re in danger, even when that ‘danger’ is just the relentless pace of everyday life.

Slowing down and focusing on our breath through gentler exercise soothes our nervous system, which is exactly what we need when frazzled.

“You should walk away from exercise feeling good. You want to nourish your body rather than deplete it,” explains Ali Handley, founder of Sydney’s Bodylove Pilates.

She’s an advocate for Pilates, which has soared in popularity in recent years. Using a variety of props to challenge, strengthen and lengthen, it serves as a full-body workout, just at a more controlled pace.

“Women think they need to do a lot of cardio, but that’s just not the case. We often need a slower burn to support our bodies, activate our muscles and connect to our breathing. All those things help to make exercise an experience rather than a punishment.”

Woman exercising at home — Low-intensity exercise can help reduce cortisol levels. Image: Getty

Rest is a right, not a reward

Lydia O’Donnell, a running coach and co-founder of the Femmi app, which provides training plans personalized to your menstrual cycle, echoes this sentiment.

“We’ve been fed this narrative of ‘no pain, no gain’, and it’s very masculine. It can be a slow jog around the block. It can be a walk. You can still move in a healthy, sustainable way that isn’t about trying to reach a marathon finishing line.”

If you love running, you don’t have to give it up. Instead, just aim to slow down the pace. Running slower can help build your aerobic base, which is good for covering longer distances without leaving you feeling zapped.

“No matter what exercise you do, you should enjoy moving and do what feels right for you,” says Lydia.

For many of us, walking is a great option to help lower cortisol levels. Not only can it increase cardiovascular fitness, lower blood pressure and help maintain a healthy weight without pushing your body beyond its limits, but you also receive mood-boosting endorphins, which can help counter feelings of overwhelm and exhaustion. Plus, it’s free and can be done practically anywhere.

“Walking is a form of stress relief,” says Anna. “It activates the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing the body’s stress response without the extra exertion of a gym session. If you need one or two cups of coffee to help you function at a 6am gym class, your body isn’t ready for the assault. You are better off sleeping in and calmly starting the day, waking with the sunlight and avoiding the harsh sound of the alarm.”

Permission to sleep in? Granted.

Author

Ashleigh Austen

Health Editor

With over 15 years of experience as a journalist working across the Australian media landscape, Ashleigh Austen is now Health Editor for The Australian Women’s Weekly. After completing a Bachelor of Journalism at Griffith University on the Gold Coast, she moved to Sydney where she has worked for various publications including Women’s Health and Body+Soul.

Related Topics:fitness health stress workout

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Fitness

Your Fitness: Learn about chest workouts with Gainesville Health & Fitness

Published

8 hours ago

February 16, 2026

Press Room

Your Fitness: Learn about chest workouts with Gainesville Health & Fitness

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) – In this week’s edition of Your Fitness, Gainesville Health and Fitness trainer Adam Brandel shows you some different chest workouts you can do and different variations of the push-up.

For more information on these workouts and more, you can go a to the Gainesville Health and Fitness website HERE

RELATED: Your Fitness: Learn about group HIIT classes with Gainesville Health & Fitness

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Fitness

The Mini Stepper Is Going Viral for Being a Cheap and Effective Workout. Is It Worth the Hype?

Published

20 hours ago

February 15, 2026

Press Room

The Mini Stepper Is Going Viral for Being a Cheap and Effective Workout. Is It Worth the Hype?

Welcome to Start TODAY. Sign up for our Start TODAY newsletter to receive daily inspiration sent to your inbox — and join us on Instagram!

These days, it seems like TikTok is all about trying to sell you stuff that can make you slimmer and more attractive. As a health journalist, I’m generally skeptical about the diet and fitness products I encounter online, but when I saw account after account extolling mini steppers of various brands — cost effective, easy to do while watching TV and actually a good workout! — I decided to try it.

I’m lucky to have access to a gym in my building, and I enjoy running outside, as well as using my Peloton. So, I was mostly wondering if a mini stepper lurking in the corner of my living room would help me squeeze more movement into my evenings and weekends when I’d otherwise be catching up on “Vanderpump Rules.” The short answer is yes, it absolutely did, though I don’t think the mini stepper is a good fit for everyone.

Here’s what to know before buying your own.

What is a mini stepper?

Mini steppers are small workout machines that are conceptually similar to a StairMaster. You stand on the machine and move the pedals up and down, simulating climbing stairs. With some mini steppers, you can change the difficulty level by increasing the resistance of the steps or range of the pedals.

Mini steppers re-create the motion of climbing up stairs, so you can definitely work up a sweat using one.Tyler Essary / TODAY

Some steppers also have resistance bands so you can incorporate an arm workout. But for those that don’t, using a pair of handheld weights while you step should be quite effective, too.

The mini stepper I used for this review is made by Sunny Health & Fitness. It comes with resistance bands and a twistable knob to make stepping more difficult. By tightening the knob, you increase the angle of the pedals so it’s more strenuous to push them down.

The Sunny stepper also has a digital face that tracks the number of steps, calories burned and how long you’ve been working out. You can also use the SunnyFit app for workout inspiration.

Sunny Health & Fitness Total Body Smart 2-in-1 Stepper Machine

Is a mini stepper good for weight loss?

My goal with using a mini stepper was not to lose weight, so I didn’t track my progress in this way. But there are lots of people who’ve shared their experience online about losing weight with their mini steppers.

One mom of four said that she used it to walk either a mile or 30 minutes every day for 30 days and she lost over 5 pounds. Another TikToker posted that she was down 6 pounds after just two and a half weeks of 10,000 daily steps on her mini stepper.

Research also shows that climbing stairs is associated with lower body weight.

Does the mini stepper actually work?

The answer to this question depends on your fitness goals, but it worked for me for a few reasons:

I exercised more during the winter. When it’s cold and gets dark early, the last thing I want to do is leave my apartment, let alone go for a run outside. The mini stepper allowed me to exercise from the comfort of my living room, which set a great foundation for working out more when the weather got nicer.

It felt like a good workout. Climbing up stairs for 45 minutes to an hour without stopping is no joke. Some days, I was too tired to even use the resistance bands, that’s how serious of a workout it was. I definitely felt sore the next day, especially after the first few uses.

I built up muscle tone and endurance. I didn’t have a regular workout routine when I started using the mini stepper this past winter, so I could definitely see my arms, legs and glutes get more toned after a few weeks of using it.

I had fun. Let’s be honest: Most of us don’t actually enjoy working out — that’s why we try to distract ourselves while doing it. If you’re one of these people, the mini stepper is great because you can easily set it up in front of your TV, watch one episode of your favorite show and that’s your movement for the day.

photo of maura on a mini stepper — The mini stepper helped me discover a love for moving my body heading into the spring and summer.Tyler Essary / TODAY

How long should you walk on a mini stepper?

I would use my mini stepper for 30 minutes to an hour each time, and that felt like a pretty solid workout. It would take me about 45 minutes to do around 1,000 steps.

There are lots of mini stepper workout routines available online that range from 15 or 20 minutes to an hour. The SunnyFit app also has workout options of varying lengths for its 2-in-1 Smart Stepper.

To lose weight with walking, it’s generally recommended that you walk for 45 to 60 minutes a day, five to six days a week.

Pros of the mini stepper

I’ve already gotten into some of the pros of the mini-stepper, but here are a few more:

Super easy to do at home. I have a Peloton in my apartment, but the mini stepper still felt more approachable on days where I really didn’t want to work out.
Small and easy to store. Most at-home workout machines take up a lot of space, but not this one! As someone who’s run a lot on the treadmill and done a lot of spinning, I believe the space-to-quality-of-workout ratio for the mini stepper is the best.
Quiet. It definitely makes a little bit of noise, but it’s not anything your downstairs neighbors would be able to hear. It didn’t bother my dog too much, and he’s very excitable.
Good workout. I really did feel like my leg and arm muscles were burning, and if I made a conscious effort to try to step extra fast, I could definitely get winded.
Cost-effective. I think $80 is a pretty good deal for a space-efficient machine that delivers a good workout that you can do while multitasking or more intensely for a shorter period. It also feels pretty sturdy, given the price point.

Cons of the mini stepper

There were a few things that I didn’t love about my mini stepper:

Hard to coordinate. I found that there was a bit of a learning curve with figuring out how to step and use the resistance bands at the same time. I didn’t have as much trouble when using small dumbbells.
Balance issues. When I increased the angle of the pedals to make the workout harder, I occasionally found myself losing balance on the machine, which would wobble a little bit as a result.
Not a must-have if you have easy access to other machines. If you’re easily motivated to go to the gym or you already have another workout machine that you like in your home, I don’t think the mini stepper will add much to your routine, unless you’re looking for diversity or to try something new.

Should you get a mini stepper?

Based on my experience of using the mini stepper for a few months, I think it is a great option for people who are busy and easily find excuses not to workout.

Because you can keep the stepper in your home without taking up too much space and you can do other tasks while stepping, it’s a seamless way to start moving on a regular basis. Plus, it really does feel like a good workout, and many have said it can help with weight loss, if that’s your goal.

That said, I think people with a lot of fitness experience, or who enjoy going to the gym or using an existing machine in their home, like a treadmill or stationary bike, might get less out of the mini stepper.

Fitness

60 Sweat-Worthy Gifts for Seriously Active People

Published

1 day ago

February 15, 2026

Press Room

60 Sweat-Worthy Gifts for Seriously Active People

Tom Price is a reviews editor for Popular Mechanics while also contributing to Runner’s World, Best Products, and Bicycling. Here at Popular Mechanics, Tom loves testing out home appliances, smart tech, gear for city life and outdoor adventures, small gadgets like watches and multitools, and anything else you can find piled up at his hoarder’s nest of a desk.

Prior to working here, Tom attended NYU, graduating with a degree in English and a minor in creative writing. He also wrote for Best Reviews, The Daily Beast, and other publications covering tech, fitness gear, gadgets, and lifestyle products. Furthermore, he covered startup news, pop culture, and even professional wrestling. To follow more of his work, check back here for new stories.