‘Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy.’
-Elle Woods, from the movie, Legally Blonde. (5)
When people think of exercise, they immediately remember that it helps maintain good physical health, but the discipline also has a positive impact on your mental well-being.
It is a scientifically proven fact that physical activity leads to the release of endorphins in the brain, a ‘feel good’ hormone, which makes an individual happier and lowers their stress levels. Acting similar to morphine, they are responsible for inhibiting an individual’s perception of pain, and triggering a positive feeling. An example of this is ‘runners high’, that euphoric, relaxing feeling experienced after a run or any high-intensity workout (2).
According to research, people who exercise on a regular basis have better mental health and emotional well-being, as well as lower rates of mental illness. The relationship between exercise and mental health is complex. Inactivity or lack of exercise, for instance, can be both a cause and a result of psychiatric disorders (3).
Childs and Wit (2014) explored the link between regular exercise and emotional resilience to acute stress in healthy adults. Both men and women, aged between 18-32, took part in two experimental trials: one with the Trier Social Stress Test (4), ‘a standardised psychophysiological paradigm’ that measures the effect of psychosocial stress (8), and the other involved a non-stressful control task. Before and after the tasks, their heart rate, blood pressure, self-reported mood, and cortisol (a stress hormone) levels were monitored. The regular exercisers' heart rates were much lower, yet, their cardiovascular responsiveness to the tasks were not different. Cortisol levels did not differ between the groups at baseline level or after stress. Interestingly, however, while no significant differences were found for subjective mood states, their emotional responses to the tests did differ. Respondents who exercised on a regular basis experienced less of a drop in positive affect after stress than the sedentary, physically inactive ones (4). Positive affectivity is a human characteristic that refers to an individual’s inclination to experience positive emotions, such as happiness, cheerfulness, and in turn, interact with others and deal with life’s challenges in a positive way (12). The results indicate that physically active people may be more resistant to acute stress, which could protect them from future health problems (4).
Similarly, Tsai et al (2014) investigated the physiological and hormonal implications of exercise, and found that the post-exercise cortisol concentrations were considerably lower than the pre-exercise amount, which indicates reduced stress levels (13).
Another study assessed the effectiveness of physical exercise as a treatment for unipolar depression, both as a stand alone intervention and as a supplement to antidepressants. The participants took part in randomised controlled trials, consisting of both aerobic (eg. running, walking, cycling) and non-aerobic exercise (such as resistance training, strength training, weight lifting). Exercise had an effect as an additive to antidepressant medication, as well as an independent form of treatment. The latter indicates that exercise could be used as alternative treatment for patients who do not respond to medication, are waiting for, or don’t want medicinal/pharmacological treatment (9).
An experiment by Kanning and Schlicht (2010) focussed on the benefits of physical activity on mood in everyday life. Across a 10-week period, the subjects completed a standardised diary. Valence, energetic arousal and calmness were the three mood subscales evaluated (7). Valence is the pleasantness of a situation (1). Immediately following self-selected activities, such as walking, gardening, participants rated their mood. ‘The participants reported feeling more content (valence), awake (energetic arousal), and calm (calmness) after being physically active compared with episodes of inactivity.’ (7). Moreover, self-esteem troubles are frequently tied to our perceived body image. Exercise can boost one’s self-esteem and confidence, therefore lowering body dissatisfaction (11) and helping you feel emotionally better about your appearance.
During these trying Covid-19 times, a large population worldwide have suffered from mental illnesses, such as anxiety and depression. Marashi et al (2021) conducted an online survey with 1669 respondents, to analyse changes in their physical regime due to the pandemic, and the effect it had on psychological well-being. The findings revealed that respondents were physically less active and more sedentary during the pandemic than they were six months prior to it. The pandemic also worsened psychological stress, and caused moderate anxiety and depression symptoms. Participants whose mental state had deteriorated the most were also the least active ones. As stated before, exercise can be both a cause and an effect of mental illnesses. This was demonstrated here as the majority of people were unmotivated to exercise as they were feeling very anxious or lacked social support. On the other hand, the individuals who stayed physically active reported doing so less due to weight loss or strength building, but more for the anxiety and stress relief provided by exercise. They were motivated by the mental health outcomes rather than the physical ones. This study highlights the link between mental health and physical activity, and explains the need to overcome the ‘perceived barriers’ such as lack of exercise space, and the need for psychological support, so that people can continue to exercise during stressful situations like the current pandemic (10).
To sum up, a plethora of research has found evidence to suggest that physical activity is associated with improved psychological health and decreased symptoms of mental illnesses, such as anxiety. Another study emphasised a ‘mental health paradox’ as it acts both as a motivator and barrier towards engaging in exercise (10). Physical exercise is an effective intervention for depression. It also could be a viable adjunct treatment in combination with antidepressants (9). It is also known to elevate your mood, release stress and improve your body image. This suggests it could be explored as a significant, holistic treatment method for mental illnesses. There is still plenty to explore in this topic and it has a lot of potential. As previous work indicates, ‘sometimes a workout is all the therapy you need.’ (6).
References
1. APA Dictionary of Psychology. Emotional Valence. Retrieved from: https://dictionary.apa.org/emotional-valence
2. Bhandari, S. (2020). Exercise and Depression. Web MD. Retrieved from: https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/exercise-depression
3. Better Health Channel. Exercise and mental health. Retrieved from: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/exercise-and-mental-health
4. Childs, E. & Wit, H.D. (2014). Regular exercise is associated with emotional resilience to acute stress in healthy adults. Frontiers in Psychology, 5(161). Doi: 10.3389/fphys.2014.00161
5. Guerra, J. (2018). This One Line From 'Legally Blonde' May Have Saved A Fan's Life & Bless You, Elle Woods. Retrieved from: https://www.elitedaily.com/p/legally-blonde-reportedly-helped-a-fan-cope-with-depression-with-this-1-awesome-line-8731079
6. Gym Quotes. (2020). Sometimes a workout is all the therapy you need. Workout Quotes. Retrieved from: http://www.gymquotes.co/workout-quotes/sometimes-a-workout-is-all-the-therapy-you-need/
7. Kanning, M. & Schlicht, W. (2010). Be Active and Become Happy: An Ecological Momentary Assessment of Physical Activity and Mood. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 32, 253-261. Doi: 10.1123/jsep.32.2.253
8. Kirschbaum, C., Pirke, K.M. & Hellhammer, D.H. (1993). The ‘Trier Social Stress Test’ – A Tool for Investigating Psychobiological Stress Responses in a Laboratory Setting. Neuropsychobiology 28(1-2), 76-81. Doi: 10.1159/000119004
9. Kvam, S., Kleppe, C.L., Nordhus, I.H. & Hovland, A. (2016). Exercise as a treatment for depression: A meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 202, 67-86. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2016.03.063
10. Marashi, Y.M., Nicholson, E., Ogrodnik, M., Fenesi, B. & Heisz, J.J. (2021). A mental health paradox: Mental health was both a motivator and barrier to physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Plos One, 16(4). Doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0239244
11. Sani, S.H.Z., Fathirezaie, Z., Brand, S., Puhse, U., Trachsler-Holsboer, E., Gerber, M. & Talepasand, S. (2016). Physical activity and self-esteem: testing direct and indirect relationships associated with psychological and physical mechanisms. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 12: 2617-2625. Doi: 10.2147/NDT.S116811
12. Scott, E. (2020). How Positive Affect Combats Stress. Very Well Mind. Retrieved from: https://www.verywellmind.com/positive-affect-and-stress-3144628
13. Tsai, C.L., Wang, C.H., Pan, C.Y., Chen, F.C., Huang, T.H. & Chou, F.Y. (2014). Executive function and endocrinological responses to acute resistance exercise. Frontier Behavioural Neuroscience, 8, 1-12. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00262
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