Physical inactivity increases midlife stress

Is ‘taking it easy’ a good way to reduce stress? Not according to a new review which looked at several decades of data from Finland. In fact, say scientists, staying active may even protect people from the signs of stress as they age.

Researchers found that exercise habits at various stages of adulthood influence how much long-term stress burden has accumulated in the body by midlife. Prolonged insufficient physical activity increases the body’s stress burden, according to a study. By contrast, engaging in physical activity in line with recommended guidelines appears to reduce harmful stress.

The study, by the University of Oulu and the Oulu Deaconess Institute Foundation, looked at more than 3,300 individuals from the age of 31 to 46 from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966. Participants’ leisure-time physical activity was examined in relation to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) physical activity recommendations. In addition, so-called allostatic load was measured, describing the strain imposed on the body by long-term stress.

According to the results, individuals who did not meet the health-enhancing physical activity recommendations during the follow-up period had a higher stress burden in midlife than those who were physically active. A decline in physical activity during adulthood was also associated with increased stress burden.

By contrast, individuals who increased their level of physical activity during adulthood did not differ in terms of stress burden from those who had remained physically active.

‘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,’ says Doctoral Researcher Maija Korpisaari.

Stress burden was assessed using both combinations of biological measures. The results were largely consistent regardless of the indicator used, strengthening the reliability of the findings. The results of the study have been published in the scientific journal Psychoneuroendocrinology.

The study provides new evidence that physical activity may be a key factor in preventing the long-term effects of stress. ‘In terms of stress burden, both the amount of physical activity in youth and in adulthood are important. Regular physical activity in adulthood appears to help the body cope with stress even into midlife,’ Korpisaari says.

According to the researchers, further longitudinal studies are needed to more precisely assess the use of different stress indicators and to understand how physical activity affects the body’s stress systems at different stages of the life course.