Movement offers a heart-healthy antidote to stress

Health in a Heartbeat

Regardless of your stress, a new study posits one easy solution to combat it: getting adequate exercise.

Yes, that’s correct — another health study in favor of moving your body. In this case, scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital discovered a possible association between physical activity, stress reduction and cardiovascular health.

After analyzing data from over 50,000 participants, researchers found those who met physical activity guidelines of getting 150 minutes of moderly intense exercise weekly slashed their risk of cardiovascular disease by 23%.

What was even more intriguing is that the results indicated individuals with higher physical activity levels exhibited lower stress-related brain activity, particularly in the prefrontal cortex. In the modern vernacular, they were chill or, at the least, chiller.

For those battling mental health conditions, like depression, that can be influenced by stress, exercise magnifies cardiovascular benefits. In this group, physical activity effectively halved the risk of cardiovascular disease, emphasizing the benefits of exercise on both brain function and heart health.

As with most preliminary studies, questions remain. For example, further research is needed to delve deeper into the mechanisms linking physical activity, brain health and cardiovascular resilience, or the system’s ability to recover from stress.

Clinicians now have a powerful prescription at their disposal. It doesn’t come in a bottle. And pharmacists can’t help with the proper dosage unless they’re also wearing a tracksuit.

So lace up the sneakers, work those muscles and don’t sweat the stress. Well… you know what we mean.