HELSINKI, Jan 24 – Adults who fail to maintain sufficient physical activity face a higher stress burden in midlife, according to a large Finnish study.

Researchers found that regular exercise in line with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines helps protect the body against harmful long-term stress.

The study, conducted by the University of Oulu and the Oulu Deaconess Institute Foundation sr., tracked more than 3,300 participants from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 between the ages of 31 and 46. Stress burden was measured using allostatic load, a biological indicator of cumulative stress.

Results showed that individuals who did not meet recommended activity levels, or whose exercise declined during adulthood, had higher stress burdens by midlife. Those who increased activity later in adulthood showed similar stress levels to consistently active participants.

“The findings suggest that regular physical activity throughout adulthood may protect the body from the harmful effects of long-term stress,” said doctoral researcher Maija Korpisaari.

The results, published in Psychoneuroendocrinology, were consistent across different stress indicators, reinforcing their reliability. Researchers said further longitudinal studies are needed to examine how physical activity influences stress systems across the life course.