Amid the current coronavirus pandemic, many people are feeling anxious and stressed. Research published in the journal Frontiers in Physiology suggests that regular exercise could create greater emotional resilience to acute, short-term stress in healthy people. The study included 111 healthy adults who were exposed to a stress test and a non-stressful control test and asked to report their regular exercise habits. Researchers measured psychophysiological responses to stress including heart rate, blood pressure, and mood.

The results showed that while exercise did not have an impact on mood before the test, people who did not exercise reported a greater decline in positive affect after exposure to the stress test. This study has several limitations, but does provide modest support for the assertion that exercise may protect against some of the negative emotions related to stress.

Active Wellness encourages you to carve out at least 30 minutes each day for exercise that gets your heart rate up, followed by 10 minutes of mindful, deep breathing. Team Active is wishing you well!