# A Habit That Accelerates the Accumulation of Age-Related Stress Has Been Named

Years of sedentary lifestyle accelerate the accumulation of age-related stress by 40−45 years, while regular physical activity can stop this process even after prolonged periods of inactivity. This conclusion was reached by scientists from the University of Oulu. The study was published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology (PNE).

The authors examined the relationship between physical activity levels in adulthood and so-called allostatic load - the cumulative physiological "wear and tear" on the body that occurs due to chronic stress. The analysis included participants from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort of 1966, who were followed from early adulthood to age 46.

Physical activity was compared against WHO recommendations - at least 150 minutes of moderate or vigorous exercise per week. Participants reported how often during their leisure time they engaged in exercises that caused shortness of breath and increased heart rate. Based on this data, people were divided into four groups: consistently active, consistently sedentary, those who increased activity, and those who decreased it over time.

Results showed that those who remained sedentary for many years had higher levels of allostatic load by age 46.

Conversely, participants who maintained regular physical activity or began moving more closer to middle age did not demonstrate additional accumulation of biological stress.

According to the researchers, what mattered most was not occasional intense exercise, but consistency of the habit. Even after prolonged periods of sedentary lifestyle, the body retained the ability to reduce stress load upon returning to regular movement.

The authors note limitations of the work: activity levels were assessed through self-reports, and stress indicators were measured at only one age. Nevertheless, the long-term observation made it possible to link specifically chronic inactivity, rather than temporary breaks in training, with accelerated accumulation of age-related stress.