How Exercises are important for Good Mental Health?

Exercise for good mental health

Exercise can be an important tool for managing everything from stress and depression to healing injuries and preventing disease. There is now considerable evidence that regular exercise is a viable, cost effective but underused treatment for mild to moderate depression that compares favorably to individual psychotherapy, group psychotherapy and cognitive therapy that are necessary ingredients in effective behavioral treatments that reduce self reported pain in individuals with chronic pain. Preliminary evidence also suggests that regular exercise deserve further attention as – “Singular treatment for some anxiety disorder for individuals suffering from body image disturbances and for the reduction of problem behavior of developing disable persons and as an adjunct in treatment programs for depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, conversion disorder and alcohol dependence”.

A popular explanation for the positive relationship between exercise and mental health is the distraction hypothesis. This was originally conceptualized by Bahrke and Morgan in a study that compared the effects on state anxiety of walking on a treadmill, meditating or resting in a comfortable chair.

It was concluded that exercise can serve as useful distraction or time out form stressful stimuli and feelings and that this can lead to improved psychological wellness.

The evidence for psychological benefits of exercise although impressive for mentally healthy individuals is even stronger for psychiatric population.

Source of Article: Jasvinder Kaur, Ayush Vashisht

Visit: Dr. A. Kalyan Chakravarthy, Psychiatry specialist.