Most of us know already that physical activity is good for our hearts and our moods. Now new research from the Mass General Brigham healthcare system points to a link between exercise, our brain's activity and a reduced risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

The large study involved analyzing the medical records and other lifestyle information of 50,359 participants from the Mass General Brigham Biobank in Cambridge, a large research program designed to help scientists understand how people's health is affected by their genes, lifestyle and environment. The data included information on how active participants were.

Participants who initially had higher stress-related brain activity — such as those with pre-existing depression — gained substantially greater cardiovascular benefits from exercising.

In addition, a sub-group of 774 participants took brain imaging tests and measurements of their stress-related brain activity. Ahmed Tawakol, a cardiologist in the Cardiovascular Imaging Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, and his colleagues analyzed the data to gauge the relationship between physical activity, psychological wellbeing and cardiovascular disease.

During a median follow-up over 10 years, nearly 13 percent of the participants developed cardiovascular disease. Taking into account the participants' other lifestyle variables (such as diet) and risk factors (such as weight) that contribute to heart disease, the team found:

  • Those participants who met physical activity recommendations had a 23 percent lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease compared with those not meeting these recommendations.
  • People with higher levels of physical activity also tended to show lower stress-related brain activity, particularly in the prefrontal cortex — the part of our brain used for decision making and impulse control.
  • Reductions in stress-related brain signaling partially accounted for the cardiovascular benefits of physical activity.
  • Participants who initially had higher stress-related brain activity — such as those with pre-existing depression — gained substantially greater cardiovascular benefits from exercising.

“Physical activity was roughly twice as effective in lowering cardiovascular disease risk among those with depression,” Tawakol said in a press release. He believes this finding may be explained by effects on the brain's stress-related activity.

Tawakol urges clinicians to “convey to patients that physical activity may have important brain effects, which may impart greater cardiovascular benefits among individuals with stress-related syndromes such as depression.”

When it comes to physical activities that benefit the cardiovascular system, the American Heart Association recommends getting at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity such as brisk walking, swimming, tennis doubles or water aerobics or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity such as singles tennis, bike riding up hills, joining in a basketball game (or a combination of any) preferably spread throughout the week.

You'll want to consult with your healthcare provider before beginning any new exercise routine.

The study is published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.