Physical activity as a stress buffer

Few systematic studies have examined the role of physical activity as a strategy of stress regulation. The present work investigates the so-called "stress-buffer hypothesis." This hypothesis states that physical activity buffers against the health-damaging effects of stress. To date there has been little empirical evidence supporting this hypothesis, and above all there is a lack of longitudinal and experimental data. In the present study the stress-buffer hypothesis was tested on both a cross-sectional and a longitudinal basis: N = 427 employees reported twice - with a time-lag of 10 months - on their psychological health, their work-related stress experiences, and their levels of physical exercise. The cross-sectional results, which took into account acute levels of stress and exercise, are only partly supportive of the stress-buffer hypothesis. However, in the longitudinal analyses, where chronic levels of stress and exercise were examined, the hypothesized stress-moderating effect could be identified. These results suggest that habitual physical exercise exhibits a health-protective effect, especially under chronic stress conditions.