(CNN) — It’s no secret that exercise is good for your mental health and heart health — and new research suggests all three work together.

Research shows that in addition to the physical benefits of exercise, it is also associated with a reduction in stress signals in the brain, which can lead to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

Researchers analyzed data from the Massachusetts General Brigham Biobank on more than 50,000 adults around the age of 60, according to the study published Monday in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The study looked at physical activity given to participants, brain imaging to track stress-related activity, and digital recording of cardiovascular events.

“People who exercised more had progressive reductions in stress-related signals in their brains,” said study lead author Dr. Ahmed Tawakol, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston. said.

“We found an exciting association: exercise appears to reduce heart disease risk in part by reducing stress-related signals,” he added.

Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and health at National Jewish Health in Denver, says that whenever a study is published that shows these kinds of improvements through lifestyle changes, everyone should pay attention. He said that. Freeman was not involved in the study.

“These are incredibly cost-effective, the magnitude of improvement is surprising, and in many cases better than many medications. We are stockpiling these tools at our fingertips. “We should,” he said.

There are two benefits for people with depression.

Tawakol and his team also wanted to know whether people with more stress-related signals in their brains would benefit more from exercise, he said.

“Surprisingly, we also found that the benefits of exercise were more than doubled in people with depression compared to people without depression or a history of depression. ” Tawakol said.

The relationship between physical activity and reduced cardiovascular risk levels also varied depending on whether a person had a history of depression or not, he added.

For people without a history of depression, the effects of exercise on reducing cardiovascular disease plateau after about 300 minutes of moderate physical activity per week. However, for patients with depression, the effects persisted over time, Tawakol said.

These benefits are in addition to the psychological benefits of exercise that researchers already know about, he added.

“We know that depression is an important risk factor for heart disease and one of the most common stress-related illnesses,” said study co-author and clinical psychologist and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. said Dr. Carmel Choi.

“While some people may be more susceptible to stress and its effects on health, we see here that they may benefit more from exercise and its stress-modulating effects. That is encouraging,” she added in an email.

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According to Tawakol, exercise decreased stress signals and increased prefrontal cortex signals.

“Both are fascinating changes in the brain,” he says.

The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain responsible for executive function, the cognitive processes that control behavior, Tawakol said.

Stress signals in the brain are associated with inflammation, hyperactivity of the sympathetic nervous system, increased blood pressure, and diseases that cause arteries to thicken and harden, he added.

Exercise appears to reduce the risk of heart disease by reducing stress signals, Tawakol said.

However, these findings are only a correlation. Because the researchers observed participants rather than conducting a randomized trial with a control group, they cannot say with certainty whether exercise caused the decline or what the underlying mechanism was. No, he said.

What kind of practice will make a difference?

Freeman said you don’t have to be a professional athlete to develop good exercise habits, which will help you improve.

“We now know that humans are designed to be physically active and move a lot, especially when we’re outside or among the trees. Data suggests that all of this has a huge stress-reducing effect. there is.”

Freeman recommends talking to your doctor first and trying to do 30 minutes of breathless physical activity a day. It doesn’t matter what the activity is.

“Walking, cycling, swimming, if you don’t like it, don’t do it. But find a way to do physical activity that you really enjoy,” he said.

Whatever your fitness level, make sure it feels difficult for you, Freeman added. Once you’re able to speak in full sentences while exercising, it may be time to make it more difficult, he says.

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