Sarah M's List: Mental Health Benefits

• Reduced anxiety
• • Best results with “aerobic exercise”
    
   
  • Best after weeks of regular exercise
    
   
  • Best benefits to those who are low fit to begin with
    
   
  • Best benefits for those high in anxiety to begin with
• Reduced depression
• • Best after weeks of regular exercise
    
   
  • Best when done several times a week
    
   
  • Best with more vigorous exercise
    
   
  • Best for those who are more depressed (needs more research)
• Activity associated with positive self-esteem
• Activity associated with restful sleep Activity associated with ability to respond to stress
• exercise can also be of value in promoting sound mental health
• caution that people in the scientific community have when it comes to claiming mental health benefits derived from exercise
• Part of the problem in interpreting the scientific literature is that there are over 100 scientific studies dealing with exercise and depression or exercise and anxiety and not all of these studies show statistically significant benefits with exercise training
• The current interest in prevention has heightened interest in exercise as an alternative or adjunct to traditional interventions such as psychotherapy or drug therapies
• All six of these meta-analyses found that across all studies examined, exercise was significantly related to a reduction in anxiety
• published between 1960 and 1995 there is a small to moderate relationship showing that both acute and chronic exercise reduces anxiety
• In examining all types of subjects, North et al. (1990) found that exercise decreased depression more than relaxation training or engaging in enjoyable activities, but did not produce effects that were different from psychotherapy
• Craft (1997), using only clinically depressed subjects, found that exercise produced the same effects as psychotherapy, behavioral interventions, and social contact
• Exercise may be a positive adjunct for the treatment of depression since exercise provides additional health benefits

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• • Information brief but concise. Physical activity helps you SLEEP better, which would contribute to a clearer head and better mood. 
• Regular physical activity can help keep your thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp as you age
• esearch has shown that doing aerobic or a mix of aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities 3 to 5 times a week for 30 to 60 minutes can give you these mental health benefits
• reduce your risk of depression and may help you sleep better
• even lower levels of physical activity can be beneficial

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• exercise also benefits mental health
• physical activity has been shown to improve sleep, increase feelings of well-being and reduce stress.
• “We’ve published research examining a cross-section of U of T students’ physical activity through a survey from health services and the data shows that people who are more physically active are self-reporting better grades.”
• Faulkner describes physical activity as a ‘win-win’ strategy for health promotion
• 30 minutes a day will improve physical and mental health

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• "Exercise has been shown to have tremendous benefits for mental health,"
• "Individuals who exercise report fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression, and lower levels of stress and anger,"
• "Exercise appears to affect, like an antidepressant, particular neurotransmitter systems in the brain, and it helps patients with depression re-establish positive behaviors. For patients with anxiety disorders, exercise reduces their fears of fear and related bodily sensations such as a racing heart and rapid breathing."
• 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity activity.

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