If you're a middle-aged person who doesn't move much, your body's stress hormone levels might help your brain become more responsive when you take regular movement breaks—but not if you just sit all day or go for one workout.

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Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

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Acute effects of physical activity patterns on plasma cortisol and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in relation to corticospinal excitability.

Cross-Sectional Study

Human

2022 Jul 26

The study found that when people took short activity breaks during sitting, those with higher cortisol levels showed greater brain changes linked to learning and movement, but this didn’t happen after long sitting or a single workout. This matches the idea that cortisol helps the brain adapt only in certain situations.

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Source Study

Acute effects of physical activity patterns on plasma cortisol and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in relation to corticospinal excitability.

Score: 33

DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113926

Similar Assertions

If you're a middle-aged adult who doesn't move much, your stress hormone levels go up more after sitting all day and then doing a 25-minute workout, compared to just sitting or breaking up your sitting time with short walks every half hour.

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