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Abstract
The aim of this paper was to review the literature investigating the influence of stress on indicators of PA and exercise. A systematic search of Web of Science, Pub- Med, and SPORTDiscus was employed to find all relevant studies focusing on human participants. Search terms included ''stress'', ''exercise'', and ''physical activity''. A rating scale (0-9) modified for this study was utilized to assess the quality of all studies with multiple time points. The literature search found 168 studies that examined the influence of stress on PA. Studies varied widely in their theoretical orientation and included perceived stress, distress, life events, job strain, role strain, and work-family conflict but not lifetime cumulative adversity. To more clearly address the question, prospective studies were considered for further review, the majority of which indicated that psychological stress predicts less PA (behavioral inhibition) and/or exercise or more sedentary behavior. Overall, the majority of the literature finds that the experience of stress impairs efforts to be physically active.