Exercise vs Stress, Which one wins?

“Exercise is good for your health” is an overused statement, and is ironically true. Why does consistent exercise boost brain function and lower stress levels?

Firstly, the brain is a highly demanding organ in metabolism, so good blood flow is vital. According to the article from the BYU Life Sciences program, “Exercise induces good blood flow to deliver all the nutrients required to carry out the brain’s job, while it also increases the production of molecules important for brain function, including memory.”. This suggests that the more a person exercises, the better their brain functions, including dealing with stress. Neuroscientists have also researched the breakdown of how exercise specifically targets stress. In an article from the American Psychological Association, they state that “Research in animals since the late 1980s has found that exercise increases brain concentrations of norepinephrine in brain regions involved in the body's stress response.” Norepinephrine is a neuromodulator, which means that it is a messenger released from neurons that affects the transmission of signals between neurons. Because the stress signals that go from neuron to neuron are disrupted, the brain cannot send out these stress signals. So, exercising increases the amount of norepinephrine, which helps block the stress signals between neurons in the brain, meaning that the stress signals are not sent and, therefore, people feel less stressed after exercising. The same article also states from a biological standpoint that “Biologically, exercise seems to give the body a chance to practice dealing with stress. It forces the body's physiological systems — all of which are involved in the stress response — to communicate much more closely than usual”. Consistent exercise allows the body to practice being in sync so that it gets used to this level of communication between organ systems and eventually gets very efficient in responding to stress.

In conclusion, the next time someone feels lazy, urge them to do the minimum amount of exercise as there are so many factors that support exercise being useful to both your mental and physical health.

Works Cited 

Working out boosts brain health. American Psychological Association. March 4, 2020. Accessed July 29, 2025. https://www.apa.org/topics/exercise-fitness/stress. 

McGregor G. How exercise affects the brain. Life Sciences. January 28, 2022. Accessed July 29, 2025. https://lifesciences.byu.edu/how-exercise-affects-your-brain.