Have you ever noticed how some people seem strangely unfazed by the frightening news that goes around us, while others freak out at the slightest inconvenience? As it turns out, our fitness habits may have a lot to do with these reactions.

Published research in a diary Acta Psychologica We found evidence that physically active people tend to be much more resilient in stressful situations and have lower levels of anxiety overall.

It’s not just a small gap. A team of mostly Brazilian researchers found that people with below-average cardiovascular habits had an astonishing 775 percent higher risk of peak anxiety when faced with disturbing images.

However, people who regularly participated in cardiorespiratory fitness were found to have better emotional control and faster recovery times from stressful events.

To conduct the test, researchers from the Federal University of Goias and the University of Zurich showed 40 healthy young people a series of disturbing photographs. These also included violent scenes seen on social media.

The study revealed that people with lower fitness levels tended to have more rambunctious temperaments. When they got angry, their anger came on faster and lingered longer than those who exercised frequently. As a result, participants are trapped in a self-reinforcing feedback loop. High anxiety made participants less likely to exercise, and not exercising made anxiety worse.

In the future, researchers will need to replicate the study with a much larger sample size to test the results. Still, this first-of-its-kind study reveals one thing: The next time you’re feeling stressed, it doesn’t hurt to go for a jog or do something to get your heart rate up.

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