Exercise and Your Mood

Submitted by Reed Stoddard

Most of us are well aware of the physical health benefits of regular exercise. But did you know that staying physically active can have a positive impact on your mental health? Research with depressed individuals has shown that aerobic exercise for 30 minutes a day at least three days a week not only produced post-workout mood elevation, but, practiced regularly, also helps most clinically depressed individuals become symptom-free within three to five weeks. However, you do not have to be clinically depressed to have the emotional benefits of exercise. A recent study in the British Journal of sorts Medicine compared two groups: an exercise group and a group that relaxed by watching a video. After exercising and watching the video each group was given a test for creativity and another test for mood. The exercise group scored higher on the creativity test than the video watchers. Positive mood increased after exercise and decreased after video watching. The study implies that exercise increases your chance to be creative, and happy. These studies reaffirm what many of us suspected all along. We feel better both physically and emotionally with regular exercise. There are, however, some aspects of exercise that decrease its emotional benefit. If there is too much of a competitive element to the exercise then the emotional benefit seems to diminish. The competition can be either within yourself or against others. Regular aerobic exercise with a relaxed attitude toward your performance could be just what you need to improve your spirits, and your health

Faculty/Staff Bulletin-- Feb. 26, 1998