What is Stress? Sep 2025

REP Athletics Training Facility in Westchester County

April 2023

April is recognized as Stress Awareness Month, a time when people worldwide raise awareness about the damaging effects of stress and encourage individuals to take proactive measures to manage their stress levels. Stress is a common problem in today’s fast-paced world, and it affects everyone differently, regardless of their age or gender. Stress awareness month is all about educating people on how to manage their stress and find healthy ways to cope with it.

Stress is your body’s natural response to a challenging situation or a threat. It triggers a cascade of physiological responses that enable you to respond quickly and effectively to the situation at hand. However, if the stress response is prolonged, it can lead to several negative health outcomes. Chronic stress can negatively impact your immune system, cardiovascular system, digestive system, and even your mental health.

According to the American Psychological Association, stress has a significant impact on Americans’ mental and physical health, with 44% of Americans reporting increased stress levels over the past five years. Additionally, a survey conducted by the American Institute of Stress found that job-related stress is a significant contributor to chronic stress, with 80% of Americans experiencing stress on the job.

Sources:

American Psychological Association. (2019). Stress in America™ Survey: Stress andCurrentEvents. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2019/stress-current-events.pdf

AmericanInstituteofStress.(n.d.).WorkplaceStress. https://www.stress.org/workplace-stress/

HarvardHealthPublishing.(2018).Exercisingtorelax. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/exercising-to-relax

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (2016).

Robert Kiernan

Robert Kiernan has extensive athletic experience, having played baseball, football, and basketball throughout his youth. Rob narrowed his focus in high school to Baseball and football. He had options to play either sport in college, but accepted a baseball scholarship to play at Dominican college. In 2017 he transferred to Lehman College to finish his collegiate baseball career. Throughout his career Kiernan used consistent strength and mobility training to enhance his performance and prevent injuries. He believes he could not have gone as far as he did if he did not engage in a consistent regimen. Rob takes his passion for sports performance and his background in exercise science to be REP’s leading Sports Performance coach.

Darryl Taylor

Darryl Taylor comes from a background of sports. He played collegiately at the division 3 level. There he gained an understanding of how important the blend of strength training and mobility is for well-being. Darryl set a course to explore the health and wellness field. With two years of experience studying Geoff Rose’s REP methodology, completing EXOS education, and training under Dr. James Benz in corrective exercise, he specializes in both mobility and conditioning.

Nicholas Gadson
Nick is a dedicated problem solver with a passion for helping others. With a degree in Health Sciences, Nick has devoted his career to studying anatomy, biomechanics, and the fascial system. He honed his expertise under the mentorship of renowned professionals Geoff Rose and Dr. Benz DC. Inspired by a family member’s stroke and his own experience as a collegiate football player, Nick is committed to using his knowledge to improve health and performance. His personal journey and professional dedication make him an invaluable asset to our team.