Exercise and Benefits to Emotional Well Being

We all know that exercise is good for us, but many lack the spark to start or maintain a consistent practice of regular exercise. The reasons we come up with for not exercising are almost endless, some valid and others not so valid. Research confirms that physical exercise can have a profound impact on our emotional, physical, and mental well-being as you will see in this article. So how do you get the spark to do what you know is good for you and is confirmed by numerous studies?

It begins with knowing how you were created and living in accordance with this design. Our bodies were meant for motion and to be worked! God in His infinite wisdom created us with a need for physical activity so that when this need is met we move towards optimal physical and emotional well-being. Let me attempt to support my claim with some research regarding the link between exercise and our mental health.

From the SMILE (Standard Medical Intervention and Long-Term Exercise) study at Duke U.

IMPACT ON DEPRESSION

Depressed people who exercised [supervised group exercise or at-home exercise] were just as likely to recover from major depression as people on Zoloft, but the exercisers were more likely to still not be depressed 2 years later than people on Zoloft or who took Zoloft in addition to exercising. Another study found that people who participated in moderately intense aerobics, such as exercising on a treadmill or stationary bicycle - whether it was for three or five days per week - experienced a decline in depressive symptoms by an average of 47% after 12 weeks. Those in the low-intensity exercise groups showed a 30% reduction in symptoms. Exercise also helped people who were unresponsive to medications.

Most recently, Hassmen et al (6) examined exercise habits, and mental wellbeing, of 3,403 Finnish adults. Many of the Finnish population suffer from a depressive disorder known as SAD or Seasonal Affect Disorder brought about by the low number of sunlight hours over winter months. Hassmen found that individuals who exercised 2-3 times per week reported significantly less depression, stress, anger and cynical distrust than non-exercisers.

IMPACT ON ANXIETY
According to a rigorous scientific study conducted by Andreas Ströhle in 2005, 30 minutes of treadmill running significantly reduces panic attacks as compared with quiet rest (by a ratio of two to one), and can do so in immediate fashion. In the first randomized, placebo-controlled study to compare exercise to drugs in treating clinically diagnosed panic disorder was undertaken in 1997. The results established regular exercise on par with a daily dose of clomipramine in relieving anxiety symptoms. In a six-month follow-up, participants who were the most fit had the lowest anxiety scores. Overall, the exercise group held to the same outcomes as did the group treated with medication. Whether you are dealing with an anxiety disorder or not, anyone can benefit from the all too common anxiety we experience from time to time.

I will sometimes tell my clients that if I could make them exercise I would because of its amazing benefits to their emotional well being.  Not only client who do homework get better faster, so do clients who exercise on a regular basis.