A recent research revealed that performing physical exercises regularly may assist protect adults from chronic stress as they reach middle age.
Scientists discovered that adults who did not exercise experienced an increased risk of long-term stress.
For the study, researchers tracked over 3,300 Finnish adults from age 31 to 46 as part of a long-term health project.
Participants reported their weekly exercise habits, and compared them against World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines advising nearly 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity each week.
Moderate activities include brisking, walking, dancing, and more, while vigorous exercises include swimming, jogging, and more.
Results indicated that people who followed a sedentary lifestyle from early adulthood showed an 18% higher risk of chronic stress by middle age.
People who stopped exercise after some time experienced a 10% increased risk.
On the contrary, people who consistently performed exercises reported significantly reduced stress levels.
lead researcher Maija Korpisaari stated, “The results suggest that the importance of physical activity is not limited to individual life stages; rather, regular exercise throughout adulthood may protect the body from the harmful effects of long-term stress.”
“In terms of stress burden, both the amount of physical activity in youth and in adulthood are important,” Korpisaari said. “Regular physical activity in adulthood appears to help the body cope with stress even into midlife,” Korpisaari added.
The researchers stressed the need for further studies to confirm these findings.
