New study reveals how running trains the body to handle psychological stress

A recent study published in Psychological Medicine investigated how running affects mental health symptoms. The research, led by Anna Katharina Frei, discovered that exercise reduces perceived stress and repetitive negative thinking, which in turn alleviates other mental health issues. Regular physical activity is known to benefit both physical and mental health, and this study sheds light on the underlying reasons for these effects.

Exercise may function as a transdiagnostic treatment, meaning it addresses common processes shared across various mental disorders, such as stress perception, repetitive negative thoughts, and sleep quality. These factors can contribute to the emergence and maintenance of mental difficulties. The study analyzed data from the ImPuls trial, which included 400 physically inactive individuals with major depressive disorder, agoraphobia, panic disorder, PTSD, or insomnia.

Participants were divided into two groups: one receiving the ImPuls exercise treatment plus standard care, and the other receiving only standard care. The exercise treatment involved supervised group meetings and 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise, such as outdoor running, twice or thrice a week. Despite the exercise intervention not improving sleep quality, the study found that it reduced repetitive negative thinking and perceived stress at 6- and 12-month marks.

This reduction in perceived stress and repetitive negative thinking led to improved overall symptom severity. The researchers suggest that exercise may mimic physical stress responses, training the body to better handle psychological stressors, and acting as a distraction, breaking the cycle of negative thinking. However, the study has limitations, as the participants may have been aware of the research focus and outcome measures were based on self-reports, potentially introducing expectancy effects.