Stress can affect nearly every system in the body, from sleep and digestion to heart health and immunity. One of the first biological responses to stress is the release of cortisol, a hormone that helps the body respond to physical and emotional challenges.

Although cortisol is often described as harmful, that is only part of the picture. It is essential for normal body function. Problems are more likely to develop when stress becomes frequent or prolonged, making it harder for the body’s natural hormone cycle to return to its usual pattern.

What Is Cortisol?

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Cortisol is the body’s primary stress hormone. It is produced by the adrenal glands, located above the kidneys, and released when the brain detects a stressful situation.

Its role extends beyond responding to stress. Cortisol helps regulate blood sugar, blood pressure, metabolism, inflammation, immune function and the sleep-wake cycle. It also ensures the body has enough energy to deal with demanding situations.

Under normal circumstances, cortisol follows a daily rhythm. Levels are highest shortly after waking, helping you feel alert, before gradually falling throughout the day and reaching their lowest point at night.

How Does Stress Affect Cortisol?

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Events such as an argument, a demanding work presentation or suddenly braking to avoid a road accident activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.

This signalling system instructs the adrenal glands to release cortisol alongside other stress hormones, including adrenaline.

In the short term, this response is beneficial. It increases available energy, sharpens concentration and prepares the body to react quickly. Once the situation has passed, cortisol usually returns to its normal pattern.

When stress continues for weeks or months, the body repeatedly activates its stress response. Ongoing work pressure, financial worries, relationship difficulties or chronic illness can disrupt normal cortisol regulation. Some people continue producing higher than normal levels, while others develop an altered daily cortisol pattern instead of consistently elevated levels.

Experts now recognise that cortisol cannot simply be described as “high” or “low” in everyone experiencing chronic stress. The effects vary from one person to another.

Signs Stress May Be Affecting Your Cortisol

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High cortisol cannot be diagnosed from symptoms alone, but prolonged stress may contribute to:

• Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
• Feeling tired despite getting enough rest
• Increased anxiety or irritability
• Cravings for sugary or high-fat foods
• Weight gain, particularly around the abdomen
• Difficulty concentrating
• Frequent headaches
• Raised blood pressure
• Becoming ill more often

These symptoms can have many different causes, so medical assessment is important if they continue.

When Cortisol Becomes a Medical Concern

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Temporary increases in cortisol are completely normal.

Persistently high cortisol caused by an underlying medical condition is far less common. One example is Cushing syndrome, which develops when the body produces too much cortisol over a prolonged period or after long-term use of high-dose corticosteroid medication.

People with Cushing syndrome may develop a rounded face, thinning skin, easy bruising, muscle weakness and noticeable weight gain around the abdomen and upper back.

Doctors diagnose the condition using specialised laboratory tests rather than symptoms alone.

Can You Lower Cortisol Naturally?

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Cortisol is essential for normal body function. The aim is to support a healthy stress response instead of allowing the body to remain in a prolonged state of stress.

The following habits support healthy cortisol regulation.

Prioritise good-quality sleep. Most adults benefit from seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Keeping a consistent bedtime helps maintain the body’s natural cortisol rhythm.

Stay physically active. Regular moderate exercise supports a healthy stress response. Extremely intense training without enough recovery can temporarily increase cortisol.

Manage everyday stress. Deep breathing, mindfulness, meditation, yoga and spending time outdoors may help reduce perceived stress.

Eat balanced meals. A diet rich in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats supports overall hormone health. Frequently skipping meals or relying heavily on ultra-processed foods may place additional strain on the body.

Maintain strong social connections. Spending time with supportive friends and family has been linked to greater resilience during stressful periods.

Limit caffeine later in the day. Drinking excessive amounts of caffeine, particularly during the afternoon or evening, may interfere with sleep and indirectly affect cortisol regulation.

When Should You See a Doctor?

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If you experience persistent fatigue, unexplained weight changes, ongoing sleep problems or symptoms that interfere with daily life, speak to your GP or another healthcare professional.

They can determine whether stress is the likely cause or whether another condition, such as thyroid disease, depression, a sleep disorder or a hormone imbalance, requires further investigation.

Routine cortisol testing is not usually recommended without a clear medical reason because hormone levels naturally fluctuate throughout the day.

The Link Between Stress and Cortisol

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Stress triggers the release of cortisol, and that is exactly how the hormone is designed to work. Short-term increases help the body deal with immediate challenges and are a normal part of healthy physiology.

Long-term stress is different. When the body’s stress response remains active for extended periods, cortisol regulation can become disrupted, increasing the likelihood of sleep problems, weight gain, raised blood pressure and other health concerns.

Maintaining healthy cortisol regulation depends largely on reducing long-term stress, following healthy lifestyle habits and seeking medical advice when symptoms persist or an underlying condition is suspected.

Looking for a workout that can help you lose weight? Cycling and walking with a weighted vest are both effective options, but they deliver results in different ways. The right choice depends on your fitness level, your goals and the type of exercise you’re most likely to keep doing regularly.

Both activities raise your heart rate and burn calories, but they challenge the body differently. Cycling makes it easier to maintain a higher intensity for longer, while adding a weighted vest increases the effort required during a walk by introducing extra resistance.

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Cycling generally burns more calories in the same amount of time. Riding at a moderate to vigorous pace allows you to maintain a higher workload, and you can increase the challenge by adjusting resistance, tackling hills or adding interval sessions. Research published by Women’s Health found that cycling is often the more efficient choice for people whose primary goal is weight loss.

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Adding a weighted vest increases the physical demands of walking. The extra load requires your muscles to generate more force with every step, which increases calorie burn compared with walking without added weight. The American College of Sports Medicine reports that wearing a vest weighing about 15% of your body weight can increase energy expenditure during walking by around 12%, while combining a lighter vest with incline walking may boost it further.

That does not necessarily make a weighted vest the better option for weight loss. Although it increases calorie burn, the difference is usually smaller than what many people can achieve during a challenging cycling session. If you can comfortably cycle for 45 minutes or longer at a steady pace, you are likely to burn more calories than you would during a weighted walk.

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Joint impact is another important difference. Cycling is a low-impact activity because the bike supports your body weight, making it a suitable option for people with knee or hip discomfort. Walking with a weighted vest remains lower impact than running, but the added load places extra stress on the joints and lower back. Experts recommend starting with a vest weighing around 5% of your body weight before gradually increasing the weight and duration of your walks.

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One advantage of a weighted vest is that it encourages greater muscle engagement. Your core, back and leg muscles work to stabilise your body throughout the walk, adding a resistance element to an activity many people already do regularly. It is not a substitute for strength training, but it can make everyday walks more challenging.

People who have tested weighted vests for their daily walks often report that the added resistance improves endurance and makes regular walks more physically demanding. Many also found that starting with too much weight reduced comfort, reinforcing expert advice to increase the load gradually.

Which Is Better for Weight Loss?

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If your priority is burning the most calories in the least amount of time, cycling has the advantage. If you already enjoy walking and want to increase the challenge without taking up a new activity, a weighted vest can be an effective addition to your routine.

A practical approach is to use both. Cycling works well for higher-intensity cardio sessions, while weighted walks can add variety on lighter training days or when you want to stay active without spending long periods exercising. The best workout is the one that fits comfortably into your routine and helps you maintain a consistent calorie deficit over time.

When temperatures soar, staying hydrated becomes one of the most effective ways to protect your health. Water helps regulate body temperature, supports circulation and replaces the fluids lost through sweating. During a heatwave, those losses increase quickly, so drinking regularly throughout the day is more effective than waiting until you feel thirsty, as thirst is often a sign that your body is already becoming dehydrated.

Staying well hydrated does not require expensive drinks or complicated routines. A few simple habits can help you maintain your fluid levels whether you are commuting, working outdoors, exercising or spending the day at home.

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Begin the day with a glass of water after waking up. This replaces some of the fluids your body loses overnight and helps maintain hydration before the hottest part of the day. Waiting until later in the day to increase your fluid intake makes it harder to replace what has already been lost.

Rather than drinking large amounts of water in one go, drink smaller amounts consistently throughout the day. This approach makes it easier to keep up with your fluid needs, particularly during prolonged periods of hot weather. Carrying a reusable water bottle can also serve as a useful reminder to drink regularly.

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One of the easiest ways to monitor your hydration is by checking the colour of your urine. A pale yellow colour generally indicates that you are well hydrated, while darker urine suggests you need more fluids. Dry lips, headaches, dizziness, tiredness and difficulty concentrating can also be early signs that your body needs more water.

Water should remain your first choice during a heatwave, but it is not the only drink that contributes to your daily fluid intake. Milk, unsweetened tea, coffee and sparkling water all count. Foods with a high water content, including watermelon, strawberries, oranges, cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce, also provide both fluids and nutrients, helping you stay hydrated alongside regular drinks.

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Many people assume they need electrolyte drinks whenever temperatures rise, but that is not usually the case. For most healthy adults carrying out light daily activities, water and a balanced diet provide all the electrolytes the body needs. Drinks containing electrolytes are more useful during prolonged exercise, physically demanding outdoor work or when significant amounts of fluid have been lost through heavy sweating, vomiting or diarrhoea.

Alcohol deserves extra caution during a heatwave because it increases fluid loss and can make dehydration worse. Drinks that are high in sugar may also leave you feeling thirstier afterwards. Water remains the most reliable choice, particularly if you have spent several hours in the heat.

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Your daily routine can also affect how much fluid you lose. If possible, plan outdoor activities for the early morning or later in the evening when temperatures are lower. If you are exercising or working outside, drink before you begin, continue drinking at regular intervals and replace fluids afterwards. Wearing loose, lightweight clothing and taking breaks in the shade or an air-conditioned space can also help limit excessive fluid loss.

Some groups are more vulnerable to dehydration during periods of extreme heat, including older adults, young children, pregnant women and people living with certain medical conditions. They may not notice thirst as quickly or may lose fluids more easily. Checking in on family members, neighbours or friends and encouraging regular fluid intake can help prevent heat-related illness.

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It is also important to recognise when dehydration has become a medical emergency. Seek immediate medical attention if someone becomes confused, faints, stops sweating despite the heat, develops a rapid heartbeat or struggles to stay awake, as these can be signs of heatstroke.

Keeping hydrated during a heatwave comes down to consistent habits rather than quick fixes. Drinking water regularly, eating foods with a high water content, limiting dehydrating drinks and adjusting your routine during the hottest hours of the day can help your body cope more effectively with prolonged periods of high temperatures.