Exercise has an effect on your mood and your response to stress. Studies have been conducted over the years that measured physical responses to stress, emotional responses to stressful exercise and exercise induced responses to activities that can cause stress in an individual. It has long been known that chronic exercise helps reduce stress levels. Studies show that the same holds true for acute aerobic exercise and your mental response to stress.
Preception of Stressful Feelings
A study published in "Health Psychology" in 1988 revealed that high intensity aerobic exercise led to an increase in tension, anxiety and fatigue in the group of 30 female medical students studied. When the same subjects performed low intensity exercises, they experienced vigor and exhilaration and a reduction in stress. Interestingly, the effect on their mood did not depend on their individual fitness levels but was correlated to the intensity of the exercise.
Stress Related Response to Acute Exercise
A study published in "Biological Psychology" in 2005 noted that there were beneficial results of chronic aerobic exercise on cardiovascular health and stress response. Using blood pressure readings as a gauge for psychosocial stress response, they found that acute aerobic exercise had a greater affect on lowering post exercise stress related blood pressure levels than chronic exercise. They did note that individuals who are obese or of African-American heritage demonstrate a heightened peripheral vascular response to psychosocial stress tasks.
Mood and Stress Response
In 1989 "Psychophysiology" published an article that chronicled the emotional effect of acute areobic exercise. Eighty mixed gender college students, some physically active and some sedentary, were studied. They performed challenging cognitive tasks that could induce stress both before and after exercise. Their moods after exercise indicated a significant reduction in both tension and anxiety and increased mental acuity. The cardiovascular effects of exercise were different between the fit and unfit, but the mood response was the same.
Exercise Induced Stress Reduction
"Health Psychology" released a 1992 study of 48 adult females age 25 to 40 years. Half the women exercised, rested, and were exposed to mental and interpersonal threats. The other half did not exercise but were exposed to the same threats. The group that had exercised revealed reduced blood pressure levels, as well as a reduction of anxiety related thoughts that occurred in conjunction with the anticipation of threat and challenge. The effect of acute exercise helped them prepare mentally to better manage their stress response.
References
- "Health Psychology"; Acute Exercise: Buffering Psychosocial Stress Response in Women; Jack W. Rejeski, et al.; 1992
- "Health Psyhchology'; Acute Effects of Aerobic Exercise On Mood; Andrew Steptoe, et al.; 1988
- "Biological Psychology"; The Effect of Acute Aerobic Exercise on Stress Related Blood Pressure Responses: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis; Mark Hamer, et al.; April 4, 2005
- "Psychophysiology"; Acute Emotional and Psychophysiological Effects of Aerobic Exercise; David L. Roth; April 30, 2007
- University of New South Wales, Shool of Medical Sciences; Exercise, Reactivity and Health; Steve Boutcher, et al.
