Depressed, Low Self-Esteem: What Can Exercise Do for You?

Depressed, Low Self-Esteem: What Can Exercise Do For You?

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of various forms of physical activity upon mental health. A review was conducted to examine specific findings of the relationship between exercise (aerobic and anaerobic) and psychological well-being. It was found that aerobic exercise performed at a moderate intensity produces significantly greater positive psychological outcomes than does either high intensity aerobic exercise or anaerobic exercise. Low impact aerobic exercise, such as yoga or meditation was also found to have positive effects on mental health.

INTRODUCTION

Mental health and physical health are very closely tied together, and each can exert a significant effect on the other. Mental health can be positively affected by physical activity and exercise, and conversely, individuals involved in in physical rehabilitation adhere to their treatment programs better and make greater advances in treatment when they have stable, positive mental health. A recent study confirmed that people with poorer mental health report more physical and somatic complaints and limitations. It is becoming increasingly more evident that mental health and physical activity are intimately tied together and much research has been conducted in the subject of the relationship between these two variables. However, the best forms of exercise for improving mental health and the specific effects of different exercises have yet to be determined.

Before examining the mental health effects of physical activity, it is necessary to differentiate different forms of activity. There are two basic forms of exercise: aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic exercises occur when oxygen is metabolized to produce energy. This occurs during sustained periods of hard work and vigorous activity, generally lasting greater than 3 minutes at a time. On the other hand, anaerobic exercises occur when the energy required to produce is provided without the use of inhaled oxygen. This type of exercise is limited to short bursts of vigorous activity, uses oxygen stored in the muscles, and therefore typically lasts less than 1 minute. There are also alternative forms of activity that are currently gaining in popularity that do not fall neatly into their aforementioned category. These exercises, such as meditation or yoga, involve focus relaxation combined with specific body positions that serve to exercise the body as it relaxes the mind.

PROCEDURE

A search was performed using the keywords “mental health + aerobic exercise” and “mental health + anaerobic exercise”. These two searches returned different journal articles. Relevant information from these articles is reviewed below and the references from these papers were used to obtain additional resources and material.

Aerobic Exercise

It has been suggested that aerobic exercise has the greatest mood-boosting when it is performed continuously for a prolonged period of time. One study determined that the mood elevating results are based on the release of beta-endorphins, which create the feel-good effect, or “runner’s high” that occurs following physical activity.