Vasudha Rai has been a guiding light for beauty enthusiasts and skincare aficionados lurking on the internet. The author turned digital creator recently took to social media to share her harrowing story of developing a cortisol belly.
“I was lifting 5 days a week, proud of how hard I could push. Thinking that was health. My workouts used to feel like a battlefield. I wore it like a badge of honour, until my body broke down. Then my skin erupted. My belly grew tight and distended. I didn’t just look stressed, I was stressed. It wasn’t about wanting a flat stomach. I love my little belly. But this was different – swollen, inflamed, begging for help,” she captioned her Instagram post.
“Chronic intesnse workouts = chronic cortisol. Cortisol steals your glow, your gut, your calm. Stress doesn’t care if it comes from work or the gym,” she further mentioned, adding that she didn’t need more discipline, but more compassion. “So I swapped brutal workouts for gentler ones – yoga, long walks and strength training twice a week. And I started resting like it was medicine,” she shared.
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“My belly softened, my skin calmed. And for the first time, my body felt like home . Move in a way that loves you back, because the real strength is a body that feels safe to live in,” were her parting words.
“I really think every few months we need to check in with our bodies and restructure workouts based on our current needs,” she added in the caption of her Instagram post, underneath which Bollywood actor Bhumi Pednekar commented: “I went through exactly this!”
Vasudha Rai’s Instagram post (Source: Instagram/@vasudha.rai)
Curious about this condition, indianexpress.com reached out to a fitness expert to understand more about it and find ways to stay safe.
What is a cortisol belly?
According to personal trainer and fitness coach, Deepika Sharma, cortisol belly is a condition that happens when stress causes fat to build up around your stomach, and the hormone responsible for doing so is known as cortisol. “When your body thinks it’s under pressure for too long, from work, bad sleep, overtraining, or even not eating enough, it starts storing fat, especially around the belly. It’s your body’s way of coping, but it ends up working against you,” she said.
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How does over exercising make it worse?
Sharma shared that working out too much can keep your body in stress mode. “If you’re doing long cardio sessions or pushing hard every day without proper rest or food, your cortisol levels stay high. That means even if you’re training hard, you might not lose belly fat. In fact, you might gain it,” she explained.
Common signs? You’re always tired, you can’t sleep well, you crave sugar, and your workouts don’t feel like they’re working anymore, she added.
What can you do about this?
* Shorten your workouts: 30–45 minutes is enough, especially if you’re focused. You don’t need to kill yourself in the gym.
* Rest matters: Take at least one or two full days off each week. Walk, stretch, or just chill. Your body needs downtime.
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* Sleep better: Bad sleep keeps cortisol high. Try to go to bed around the same time, reduce screen time before bed, and avoid caffeine late in the day.
* Eat properly: Skipping meals or eating too little keeps your body stressed. Fuel up with protein, veggies, and healthy fats.
* Watch how you feel: If you’re constantly drained, it might be time to pull back a bit.
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.