Physical inactivity is a common concern today, as it can lead to obesity, heart disease, chronic diseases, and so on. It is one of the leading causes of mortality and is related not only to physical but also to psychological well-being. Many people do not meet the recommended amount of physical activity, including adolescents, for whom exercising is especially important, as it could promote mental health and contribute to their physical health as well. Studies have investigated the harmful effects of the lack of exercise, however, fewer studies have looked at the possible causes of physical inactivity. There is a growing amount of literature on how stress, psychological trauma, or adverse life experiences can influence physical inactivity. Studying these causes could provide a better understanding of the physiological and psychological background of physical inactivity, leading to more effective approaches to treatment and intervention for such lifestyles.
Recently, more studies have investigated the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and their associations with physical activity. ACEs include environmental stressors such as abuse, neglect, or household challenges, which have already been associated with a higher risk of substance abuse, obesity, depression, and so on. They pose a huge risk for youth, and it is essential to understand how they affect people's lives in the future. A 2024 study has examined several ACEs and their associations with daily step counts as a measure of physical activity. They found an inverse relationship between ACEs and daily steps, meaning that those who experienced ACEs had lower levels of physical activity. Additionally, as the number of ACEs increased, people had fewer steps, suggesting that greater exposure to adversity could be associated with a more serious decrease in physical activity. However, this study only examined associations between stress and physical activity, raising additional questions about how psychological trauma or stress could have an effect on physical activity.
To answer these questions, Buhr and colleagues (2023) examined how acute stress affects the brain chemistry of rodents and how it affects their physical activity. To create ACEs, they administered tail shocks to mice, and after 36 hours, they gave them a running wheel and measured how much they ran compared to the control mice that had not received the tail shocks. After 9 weeks, they found that mice who received the most tail shocks ran the least among all groups. This provides evidence for previous studies claiming that stress may cause physical inactivity. Moreover, after examining the mice's brains, they found that acute stress may be related to neurological changes in the dopamine system, which is involved in reward seeking and is also implicated in movement. These results provide evidence that adverse experiences may alter brain monoamine systems, such as the dopamine system, potentially contributing to deficits in physical activity.
Overall, these studies point to the fact that it is essential to focus on the causes of physical inactivity rather than labelling people as lazy. Providing proper treatments and developing interventions could lead to helping millions of people who live an inactive life better understand some of the possible causes and start their journey toward a more active life.
References
Al-Shoaibi, A. A., Iyra, P., Raney, J. H., Ganson, K. T., Dooley, E. E., Testa, A., ... & Nagata, J. M. (2024). Associations between adverse childhood experiences and early adolescent physical activity in the United States. Academic pediatrics, 24(4), 662-668. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2023.10.004
Buhr, T. J., Reed, C. H., Wee, O. M., Lee, J. H., Yuan, L. L., Fleshner, M., ... & Clark, P. J. (2023). The persistence of stress-induced physical inactivity in rats: an investigation of central monoamine neurotransmitters and skeletal muscle oxidative stress. Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience, 17, 1169151. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1169151
