We’re often reminded of the importance of getting enough exercise and the findings of a new study will make you stick with the gym membership you got for your New Year’s resolutions.

The study, conducted by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, examined the impact of physical activity on the brain and found that it had a profound effect on stress-related brain activity.

Published in the Journal of American Cardiology, the study collected data from a sample of 50,359 participants who completed a survey on their health and physical activity.

From that sample, a subset of 774 participants underwent brain imaging tests to measure stress-related brain activity.

The study found that participants who engaged in regular exercise had lower levels of stress-related brain activity, which in turn lowered the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Over an average follow-up period of 10 years, participants who met physical activity recommendations had a 23% lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease than those who didn’t.

Researchers noted that these reductions in stress-associated brain activity were the result of gains in function in the area of the brain known as the prefrontal cortex which is involved in decision-making and impulse control.

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Exercise had the greatest benefit on those under higher stress

An extension of the study’s findings was that participants who had greater levels of stress-related brain activity, such as those with pre-existing depression, saw a greater cardiovascular benefit from physical activity.

Leading the study was Ahmed Tawakol, MD, an investigator and cardiologist in the Cardiovascular Imaging Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, who spoke in a news release about the findings.

“Physical activity was roughly twice as effective in lowering cardiovascular disease risk among those with depression,” he explained. “Effects on the brain’s stress-related activity may explain this novel observation.”

“Prospective studies are needed to identify potential mediators and to prove causality,” he added. “In the meantime, clinicians could convey to patients that physical activity may have important brain effects, which may impart greater cardiovascular benefits among individuals with stress-related syndromes such as depression.”

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New study reveals the effect exercise has on the brain’s stress-related activity

Exercise had the greatest benefit on those under higher stress