Author: Kathleen Mc Quaide - Sports Scientist & Health Promotions Manager, SSISA (10 Mar 2008)
Whilst most people are well aware of the physiological benefits that exercise affords them, their knowledge of the psychological benefits is more limited. We hear things like “exercise makes me feel good” or “it helps me cope with life”, but are we aware of the extent of these very real benefits? In this article, we will briefly look at the effects of exercise on anxiety, depression, emotion and mood as well as self-esteem.
Anxiety Both single and multiple exercise sessions have a low-to-moderate effect on reducing anxiety. But exercise also seems to have a stress-buffering role in that it appears to make people more resistant to the detrimental physiological and psychological effects of “stressful life events” to which none of us are immune. It is not yet known whether this is as a result of a dampened stress response or a higher pain tolerance due to exercise.
Depression It has been predicted that by the year 2020, the most common reason for South Africans visiting their doctors will be due to depression, and yet only an estimated 20% of individuals who meet the criteria for depression are actually treated by someone trained in the field (psychologist, psychiatrist). Whilst drug therapy is the most frequent form of treatment, exercise can also play a vital role in the treatment of depression. Research shows that the antidepressant effects of exercise are evident within one to two months and the length of the exercise programme directly relates to the reduction in depression. However, a combination of both psychotherapy and exercise is still better than exercise alone. Exercise can also have a preventative role, in that physically active people are far less likely to be depressed.
Emotion and Mood Many research studies have found that exercise positively affects moods states. It seems that the best results are obtained with moderate intensity exercise, since sometimes the high intensity workouts left stressed people feeling more anxious, tense and fatigued. On the other hand, if the intensity of the exercise programme was too low, little improvement in mood resulted. Group-based exercise programmes, where participants experienced a sense of mastery and achievement, were definitely associated with higher levels of motivation and well being than those in which competition was emphasized. The psychological improvements associated with exercise preceded physiological changes, which is quite an interesting point to note.
Self-esteem Self-esteem is one indicator of well being and it has been defined as “feelings of self-worth stemming from the person’s positive or negative beliefs about being valuable and capable”. Exercise can play a vital role in improving an individual’s physical self-worth and their body image, and this can, on occasion, be accompanied by an improvement in general self-esteem. Generally, the effects seem to be more positive in those who begin exercising with a lower self-esteem. In summary, how does exercise actually bring about this improvement in mental well being? Here are some of the psychological factors.
• Exercise can act as a temporary diversion to daily stresses. • It provides a socially acceptable outlet for anger and hostility. Repression of anger is definitely associated with certain disease states. In fact, depression is sometimes described as anger turned inwards. • Exercise provides a wonderful opportunity for social interaction that may otherwise be lacking in an individuals’ life. It can either encourage a sense of fun and play, or provide time for solitude and introspection. • There is a clear correlation between a healthy self-esteem and high levels of self-efficacy (a belief in your ability to do something successfully), and coping with high levels of stress. If you are exercising regularly, you are more likely to feel good about yourself. • Exercise provides an opportunity for mastering new skills and realizing different goals that are unrelated to current stressors. Focusing on something that is enjoyable and brings about such positive effects on one’s health, can be refreshing and invigorating. • Regular exercise might well help you to fall asleep more quickly and sleep more soundly, which makes you better at managing stress than a fatigued individual.
Unfortunately, in spite of the enormous psychological benefits associated with regular exercise, most people, when stressed, lean towards other comforting habits. These might include drinking or eating excessively, smoking or sitting for hours in front of the TV. However, these habits can exacerbate the stress by simply adding negative health consequences and probably worsening self-esteem. Exercise on the other hand, has such positive health consequences, that it can become part of the solution. The best option is to choose exercise that is enjoyable, achievable and sociable, since you are far more likely to stick with it, do it regularly and make it part of your new and healthy lifestyle.
