Physical Activity Reduces Stress Symptoms

Just what you want to hear about leisure physical activity and reduction of stress symptoms. This is Dr. Steven Andrew Davis, Speaking of Health. A report published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine suggests that physical symptoms and anxiety resulting from stress can be lessened by leisure physical activity. Being active in things like golf and gardening and fishing, while not raising your heart rate to frenetic levels, can reduce symptoms you may be getting from daily stresses in your life.

From the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, lead researcher, Dr. Cindy Carmack, says that “Minor everyday stress contributes to the development and exacerbation of physical and mental health problems.” Even daily minor stresses like having car trouble or being late for work, have been linked to psychological distress. Her team looked at 135 university students for a link between the symptoms they were having from stress and the relief they got from leisure physical activity. “For participants with low levels of stress, there were low reports of symptoms; as stress increased, symptoms increased more for those with low levels of leisure physical activity.”

Ever try to justify your game of golf or your fishing trip because it just makes you feel better? Well now, there’s at least some research to back you up. For a

copy of this script, access our web site, speakingofhealth.com. Speaking of Health, I’m Dr. Steven Andrew Davis, for CBS News.