Physical activity has long been associated with managing various mental health conditions, including anxiety disorders.
Lesser known is whether individuals with higher levels of physical fitness experience fewer anxiety symptoms and stressful emotions.
A recent study published in Acta Psychologica investigated whether higher cardiorespiratory fitness may be associated with lower levels of anxiety and anger. The researchers examined whether people with different fitness levels exhibit distinct emotional responses to unpleasant visual stimuli.
“These findings make a lot of sense to me. I consistently recommend regular exercise to my patients and believe that regular physical activity is an important piece of strong emotional health,” Nissa Keyashian , MD, board certified psychiatrist and author of “ Practicing Stillness ,” who was not involved in the study, told Healthline.
The study involved 40 healthy individuals between the ages of 18 and 40. The participants were divided into two groups: above-average (AA) and below-average (BA) fitness levels.
Both groups felt more tense after looking at the upsetting images. However, the AA group started with overall lower levels of anger and anxiety in their daily lives, and stayed calmer. The BA group showed a 775% greater risk of seeing their anxiety levels increase from moderate to high.
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