Understanding Allostatic Load: Why More Isn’t Always Better
Understanding Allostatic Load: Why More Isn’t Always Better
Jun 8, 2025
Understanding Allostatic Load: Why More Isn’t Always Better
At Ten Fld, we’re all about smart training. We meet you where you are, and that starts with understanding something most gyms ignore: your stress load.
What Is Allostatic Load?
Allostatic load is the wear and tear on your body from constantly adapting to physical, emotional, and mental stress. Every time your body has to respond to a stressor—work, poor sleep, skipping meals, overtraining—it’s filling your internal “stress cup.” Eventually, that cup overflows, and your body lets you know through fatigue, injury, burnout, or even illness.
Eustress vs Distress
Not all stress is bad.
Eustress is the “good” stress. It’s the kind you feel during a challenging workout, learning something new, or prepping for a presentation. It sharpens you.
Distress is what drags you down—too much at once, unresolved emotional stress, lack of recovery, or poor sleep.
The problem? Many clients walk into the gym carrying a full cup of distress. Then they try to “go hard” in the gym as a release—but their nervous system is already maxed out. That’s when they start working against their goals, not toward them.
HRV & The Nervous System
One way we can measure how ready your body is to train is through heart rate variability (HRV). Low HRV means your nervous system is under pressure, and pushing harder might not be the answer. That’s why at Ten Fld, we don’t just blindly load your workouts. We pay attention to the bigger picture.
Training Smarter, Not Just Harder
Our mission is simple: help your stress cup grow in capacity over time while keeping it from spilling over. That means:
Some days are high intensity.
Some days are low impact movement.
All days are intentional.
We train to create just enough stress for the body to adapt (eustress) and recover. Then we do it again. Slowly, steadily, your body becomes more resilient—and your cup gets bigger.
Keep It Simple. Keep It Sustainable.
Recovery is not optional. Neither is rest. You don’t have to crush every session to see results. You just have to show up, be honest about what your body needs, and let the process work.
At Ten Fld, we’ve got your back—on the hard days, the light days, and everything in between.
Let’s train smarter, together.
My Daily Stress Cup Tracker
Use this simple worksheet to build awareness of what fills or drains your stress cup throughout the day. Try this for a few days or weeks to better match your training to your stress levels.
Step 1: Fill in Your Daily Inputs
Fill in how much each of these areas contributed to your stress cup (1–5 scale, 5 = heavy load)
Category | Rating (1–5) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Sleep (quantity/quality) | ||
Workload | ||
Emotional stress | ||
Nutrition (quality/timing) | ||
Movement/Exercise | (Did you train? Was it restorative?) | |
Social Interaction | (Supportive or draining?) | |
Recovery activities | (Breathwork, rest, hobbies, etc.) |
Step 2: Review Your Total Load
Total up your stress ratings.
Add a note: Did your stress cup feel full today? Overflowing? Manageable?
Step 3: Reflect
What is one small action you can take tomorrow to reduce load or support recovery?
What went well today that helped keep your cup from overflowing?
Remember: This isn’t about perfection. It’s about noticing patterns, building awareness, and giving your body what it needs—not punishing it.
Stress smarter. Recover better. Train with intention.
Understanding Allostatic Load: Why More Isn’t Always Better
At Ten Fld, we’re all about smart training. We meet you where you are, and that starts with understanding something most gyms ignore: your stress load.
What Is Allostatic Load?
Allostatic load is the wear and tear on your body from constantly adapting to physical, emotional, and mental stress. Every time your body has to respond to a stressor—work, poor sleep, skipping meals, overtraining—it’s filling your internal “stress cup.” Eventually, that cup overflows, and your body lets you know through fatigue, injury, burnout, or even illness.
Eustress vs Distress
Not all stress is bad.
Eustress is the “good” stress. It’s the kind you feel during a challenging workout, learning something new, or prepping for a presentation. It sharpens you.
Distress is what drags you down—too much at once, unresolved emotional stress, lack of recovery, or poor sleep.
The problem? Many clients walk into the gym carrying a full cup of distress. Then they try to “go hard” in the gym as a release—but their nervous system is already maxed out. That’s when they start working against their goals, not toward them.
HRV & The Nervous System
One way we can measure how ready your body is to train is through heart rate variability (HRV). Low HRV means your nervous system is under pressure, and pushing harder might not be the answer. That’s why at Ten Fld, we don’t just blindly load your workouts. We pay attention to the bigger picture.
Training Smarter, Not Just Harder
Our mission is simple: help your stress cup grow in capacity over time while keeping it from spilling over. That means:
Some days are high intensity.
Some days are low impact movement.
All days are intentional.
We train to create just enough stress for the body to adapt (eustress) and recover. Then we do it again. Slowly, steadily, your body becomes more resilient—and your cup gets bigger.
Keep It Simple. Keep It Sustainable.
Recovery is not optional. Neither is rest. You don’t have to crush every session to see results. You just have to show up, be honest about what your body needs, and let the process work.
At Ten Fld, we’ve got your back—on the hard days, the light days, and everything in between.
Let’s train smarter, together.
My Daily Stress Cup Tracker
Use this simple worksheet to build awareness of what fills or drains your stress cup throughout the day. Try this for a few days or weeks to better match your training to your stress levels.
Step 1: Fill in Your Daily Inputs
Fill in how much each of these areas contributed to your stress cup (1–5 scale, 5 = heavy load)
Category | Rating (1–5) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Sleep (quantity/quality) | ||
Workload | ||
Emotional stress | ||
Nutrition (quality/timing) | ||
Movement/Exercise | (Did you train? Was it restorative?) | |
Social Interaction | (Supportive or draining?) | |
Recovery activities | (Breathwork, rest, hobbies, etc.) |
Step 2: Review Your Total Load
Total up your stress ratings.
Add a note: Did your stress cup feel full today? Overflowing? Manageable?
Step 3: Reflect
What is one small action you can take tomorrow to reduce load or support recovery?
What went well today that helped keep your cup from overflowing?
Remember: This isn’t about perfection. It’s about noticing patterns, building awareness, and giving your body what it needs—not punishing it.
Stress smarter. Recover better. Train with intention.
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© 2025 Ten Fld Systems Inc All rights reserved.
© 2025 Ten Fld Systems Inc All rights reserved.
© 2025 Ten Fld Systems Inc All rights reserved.