Exercise and Mental Health = Exercise and Mental Health

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Exercise and Mental Health. Exercise Science, 7(2); 131-146, 1998. The research literature derived from hundreds of studies with thousands of subjects now indicates that there is considerable evidence to support the claim that exercise is related to a relief in symptoms of depression and anxiety. It is extremely unlikely that these overall relationships could be due to behavioral artifacts. The variables which moderate the relationship between exercise and reductions in anxiety and depression will be discussed. More research is needed to determine if this overall relationship is causal, and there is also a need to further examine some of the variables that are believed to moderate or explain the overall relationship. For other variables related to positive mental health the initial quantitative reviews of the literature have shown evidence that is promising. At the present time, it appears that aerobic exercise enhances positive mood and self-esteem, produces more restful sleep, and increases cognitive functioning. Moderating variables will be discussed for the self-esteem, sleep, and cognitive functioning. However, the overall relationships between exercise and positive mood and exercise and cognitive functioning could potentially be due to behavioral artifacts and more research is needed to examine this. For some of these psychological variables, particularly reductions in anxiety and depression following acute or chronic exercise, there is now sufficient evidence to justify stronger statements than currently exists in the 1996 Surgeon General`s Report on Physical Activity and Health.