Wellbeing of long term exercisers compared to inactive people

This is a cross sectional study. Regular exercise is a crucial aspect of a healthy lifestyle, and incorporating it into daily routines can yield significant benefits. This study aimed to compare adults who had engaged in regular exercise for at least three years with those who were inactive, focusing on perceived health, income, stress, and life satisfaction, while controlling for age, gender, and childhood physical activity. A total of 461 participants (74.83% female) completed an online survey via the Qualtrics platform. The results of a multivariate analysis of covariance revealed that regular exercisers reported lower levels of perceived stress and higher levels of perceived health, income, and life satisfaction compared to their inactive counterparts. Although childhood physical activity was more common among regular exercisers, it did not emerge as a statistically significant covariate. While the effect sizes were relatively small, the findings highlighted noticeable differences in overall well-being between long-term exercisers and inactive adults.