Impact of Physical Exercise on Treating and Preventing Depression, Anxiety and Stress - Research Paper Example

? Running Head: Impact of physical exercise on treating and preventing depression, anxiety and stress. al Affiliation……………………….) Regular exercises are expected to bring positive psychological impact on people. The popular saying that a healthy mind would lead to healthy body is true with respect to the relation of exercise and psychology. Though the impacts of exercise on the mind and thought process may not be visibly evident as in the case of physical benefits of exercise, the psychological benefits of regular exercise is proved to be as significant as the physical ones. There are ample evidences which prove that physical exercise can be beneficial in treating depression, anxiety and stress. Medical science along with studies in physical fitness has extensively studied the connection of both aerobic and anaerobic exercises with the psychological well being of individuals .Apart from the direct impact of exercises on psychological improvisation, the indirect impacts they have on the mental health through an improved physical status has been largely proven (Hamilton, 1960). The objective of this essay is to critically analyze the impact of physical exercise on treating and preventing depression, anxiety and stress. Physical activity is generally defined as bodily movement that is produced by the contraction of skeletal muscle and that substantially increases energy expendi­ture (Bouchard, 1990). Therefore, physical activity is an all-encompassing term that includes exercise, sports, dance and leisure activities. In contrast, exercise is commonly undertaken with the intention of developing health and/or physical fitness (Corbin, Pangrazi and Frank, 2000). Exercise has vital role in maintenance of the health of mind and body. The process of exercising has proven benefits to help one to lead a better life. The changed scenario of professional and personal life in the busy competitive world of today limits the possibility of physical exertion. The increased occurrences of diseases and psychological defects despite the modern medical and scientific facilities relates to lesser exercising and physical exertion of the people. However there are scientifically proven benefits of exercise which contributes positively to various values of life, be it that of physical health or that of mental stability. There have been a number of studies which confirm the positive impact of exercising on the psychological health of individuals. HMS (2013) based on its literature review covering studies from 1981 reports that there are evidences which confirms that in patients with mild to moderate depression, regular exercising can improve their mood. However, in cases of acute depression, exercising can be used as a supportive technique for treatment. There have been several studies which compared the effect of aerobic exercises and antidepressant medicines on the mental status of the subjects (Doyne et al, 1987). A comparative study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 1999 covered three populations including all the three combinations of interventions including exercises and medicines. In other words, two groups underwent only one of these interventions and the third group underwent both. Interestingly, there was significant mood improvement of 60 to 70 percent in all the three groups within a time span of 16 weeks. The finding by this study that the subject populations had similar ratings of depression, suggests that exercising can have similar curative effects as with the case of drugs (HMS, 2013). The positive point here is that unlike the drug intervention, exercising does not involve other side effects. Adding to this is the fact that physical exertion will help improve the general health of the patient (HMS, 2013). However, the study also mentions that the effect of exercising on mood is not as quick as that with case of medical intervention. It would take some time for exercising to show some positive result on the patient. The regularity of exercising is a vital factor here. Thus in the case of severely depressed individuals where quick results are needed, exercising need not be a viable solution. Another challenge here is that it will be difficult to keep a depressed patient motivated to engage in exercising regularly(HMS, 2013). Thus the practicality of this as an intervention in the case of a deeply depressed patient has to be further critically analyzed. The sustainability of the intervention is another positive side of exercising. The earlier mentioned study found that the effect of exercising was more long lasting than that of medical interventions. Regular exercising was found to avert the chances of falling into depression (HMS, 2013). Thus weighted for all its benefits, it can be stated that regular exercising is effective in averting and treating depression in cases of patients suffering from mild to moderate depression (McNeil, et al, 1991). Doyne et al, (1987). further refers to studies suggesting that the regularity of the aerobic exercises is more important and effective intervention than exhaustive and aggressive exercising. It has been reported that more than 10 million Americans have indicated symptoms of anxiety neurosis (Morgan 1979). It is observed to be one of the most common psychiatric conditions prevalent in the United States. There are a number of psychotherapeutic interventions which are traditionally followed to treat anxiety. These include hypnosis, relaxation, meditation, medication and biofeedback. The effectiveness of each has to be approached in a patient specific context. However, there has been ample attention paid by researchers to test the possibility of using exercise as an intervention against anxiety. The mental consequences of regular exercising with reference to anxiety have been reviewed by several studies. Carek, Laibstain & Carek (2011) has confirmed the positive effect of physical activity on depression and anxiety. They used this observation to conclude that exercises can be scientifically designed so that it can manipulate psychological conditions of anxiety and depression resulting in improvements in general psychological well being, general physical health and life satisfaction. They have also reported significant improvement in cognitive skills as a result of exercising as an intervention. Carek, Laibstain & Carek (2011) also studied the effects of physical inactivity on psychological health. They found that inactivity can lead to either development or worsening of conditions of psychological disorder including depression, anxiety and stress. This further supports the thesis of this paper that regular exercising can interfere with conditions of depression, anxiety and stress resulting in general improvement of psychological health. Laibstain & Carek (2011) found favoring results for comparative performance of exercise as an intervention against anti depressants. However, Laibstain & Carek (2011) finds anti depressants to be more aggressive in the case of anxiety disorders. DGP (1983) confirms that most commonly used intervention for depression is medication. It has been reported that almost 30 to 35 percent of these patients who take medications do not positively respond to them. DGP (1983) also points out that these medications could cause serious and long lasting side effects, which could impair the quality of life of the patients. The quick impact that these medicines have on depression is of short tern nature and may recur soon. Apart from the direct connections amongst exercising and psychological disorders, the indirect effects of exercising on psychological health are worth noting. The relation of physiological improvisation in positively affecting the physical attributes has been reiterated by the studies conducted by James H.Capshew. (Capshew, H, J, 2008,p.12). However, there are direct impacts and indirect impacts of exercise on human psychology. When factors like self esteem and attitude are indirect subjective results of exercise, there are more tangible direct impacts of exercise on human psychology, including mental statuses like depression, stress and anxiety. These impacts are mainly caused due to the direct effect of bio chemical activity catalyzed by physical exertion. The bio chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and endorphins which are released by the brain are proved to have strong effects on mood, by helping to reduce feelings of anxiety, stress and depression. (Azmitia E.C, Whitaker P.M,1991, p4-16). There are twenty different types of endorphin found in the nervous system and the beta-endorphins secreted during exercise have the most powerful effect. The release of beta-endorphins is proved to reduce pain as well and this is the reason why running becomes easier after continuously running for twenty minutes. This brain chemical stimulates the feelings of euphoria which makes people more enthusiastic after doing exercise. The chemical secretions in turn strengthen the immune system as well. This is the reason that exercise is prescribed as remedial measure to people suffering from psychological problems like depression and anxiety. The indirect benefits of exercise on human psychology also have indicated positive results (Martinsen, 1998). Exercise has proved to improve self esteem of an individual. It develops a greater sense of self reliance and self confidence. The professional accuracy of a person also improvises due to regular exercise as it has been proved that regular exercising improves the mental alertness of a person. Perception and information processing which are vital to survive in the ever increasing competitiveness in each and every profession is improved through regular exercise. The added psychological benefits of exercise are increased perceptions and acceptance by others. The limiting personal attributes of stress and tension is decreased by physical exertion. Disappointments and failures are quite expectable in the busy schedule of day to day affairs. The approach and the way one respond to these experiences of failure is decisive in the personal and professional success. Exercise has proved to have substantial impact on reducing frustration on facing with challenging situations. It in turn helps to have a more constructive response towards such failures and disappointments. The goodness of sleeping depends very much on the physical and the mental health. Exercise of at least three hours before bedtime can help to relax and sleep better in the night. (CNN,2008) Proper exercising helps to maintain the weight of the body to appropriate levels through burning calories. Burning more calories than the actual intake leads to reduction in body fat which gives a healthier body composition. This would not only contribute towards healthy medical conditions but also improves the personality and outlook of the person. Reduction of body weight would reduce the pressure exerted on bones and joints which prevents conditions like arthritis. The benefits of exercise in totality would provide healthier long life. In a study conducted by Harvard graduates, men who burned 2,000 or more calories a week by walking, jogging, climbing stairs or playing sports lived an average of one to two years longer than did those who burned fewer than 500 calories a week by exercising. Exercising also contribute in a positive way to the quality of life (CNN,2008). The cognitive functioning of an individual is a strong determinant of their rate of achievement. There are several studies which concluded positive effects of physical activity and physical education on the cognitive functioning of children. Sibley and Etnier (2003) had positive conclusions on the effect of physical exercise on the cognitive functioning of children. Similar results in elderly people were found by McMurdo (1992). Students of age group eleven to thirteen had larger influence on their cognitive skills on going undergoing physical education. These children mainly belonged to grades between 6 and 8. Sibley and Etnier (2003) also reviewed the literature available on the effects of physical activity on the cognitive functioning of children. They considered both unpublished and published works and noted significant positive influence of physical exertion on children’s cognitive skills. This will have direct influence on the mental health of the individual. The effects of various exercises on the cognitive skills have been studied by various researchers. Brisswalter et al (2002) observed that optimal exposure to exercises had notable improvement in decisional skills (Brisswalter et al, 2002). It must be noted here that decisional skill is a vital indicator of psychological satisfaction (Neugarten et al, 1967). It has been opined that exposure physical exercise at the rate of more than 20 minutes was very effective in causing improvements in decisional and perceptual tasks (Brisswalter et al ,2002). In general, involvement in physical exercises has been found in literatures to have significant impacts on the cognitive skills. Stephens (1998) has pointed out the shortcomings in the methodology followed in the researches of the earlier dates so as to have medically applicable conclusions. However, studies of later dates have made methodological corrections. In totality the psychological benefits of exercising has to be considered equivalent to the more visible physical benefits. The way exercising makes an indirect impact on the personality and the success of a person through its direct impact on the person’s psychology makes the relevance of exercising quite evident. The development of a number of psychology based physical exercises also proves the fact that exercising can substantially impact the psychological approach of a person. This would further connect to the viability of using exercising as an intervention against depression, anxiety and stress. Regular exercising has proven benefits as an intervention for psychological disorders. Exerting the body in optimum levels causes benefits in terms of psychological impacts, disease aversion, and has been proved to have effective in averting and treating depression, anxiety and stress. It in general adds positive values to life.. The effect of exercising in comparison with medication has been found to be a more long term and sustainable solution. The regularity of exercising is a key factor which defines the success of the intervention. A challenge in following exercise as an intervention approach is to keep the patient motivated to regularly follow the exercise schedule. Mild and moderate psychological cases of anxiety, depression and stress are more found to be more manageable with exercising. To have a healthy mind and body is vital in order to lead a happy and successful life. To feel better in every moments of life, to have better energy to live life up to the expectations and to live longer, exercising has to be an integral part of one’s routine. Optimum levels of exercise in a daily basis would significantly help to improve the overall psychological health, well being and quality of life. It can viably used as an intervention in preventing and averting cases of depression, anxiety and stress. However the most important factor is the regularity, optimum level and precision in the methodology of the exercise activity. References Azmitia E.C, Whitaker P.M. (1991) Awakening the sleeping giant: anatomy and plasticity of the brain serotonergic system. J Clin Psychiatry. 52, 4-16. Bouchard, C.(1990).Discussion: Heredity, fitness and health. In C. Bouchard, R.J Shepherd, T. Stephens, J.R Sutton, M. C Pherson (Eds.), Exercise, Fitness and Health, Campaign, New York: Human Kinetics. 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