Exercise offers a wide range of benefits for mental health.
“Walking is man’s best medicine,” quoted Hippocrates (460-377 B.C.)
In a meta-analysis of 49 prospective studies, which involved more than 260,000 participants, it was shown that people with higher physical activity levels are less likely to develop depression (odds ratio [OR] = 0.83, 95% confidence interval [95%CI] = 0.79-0.88) (1)
It has been postulated that exercise can be used as an adjunct for improving mental health, depressive and symptoms of anxiety.
The exact mechanism by which exercise helps with mental health is still not fully elucidated, however proposed mechanisms include that of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BNDF), insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), of which the former is involved in the modulation of depression. A study showed that exercise increases the BNDF in rats, thereby acting as an anti-depressant. (2) IGF-1 is also associated with improvement in cognition; and it has been shown to increase in exercise. Other neurotransmitters involved during exercise are that of : serotonin, dopamine, acetylcholine and norepinephrine. (3)
A meta-analysis has shown that exercise has been shown to reduce depressive symptoms in patients with depression, for which the effect size was larger in those with major depression. (4)
There is evidence that both aerobic and strength training are beneficial in improving depression and anxiety symptoms, hence we are not restricted to one or the other when we are trying to cultivate a new exercise regime. (5)
Indeed, more research is required for us to better understand the mechanism through which exercise is beneficial for our mental health; however there is existing evidence that does suggest that exercise is beneficial for our mental health.
References
1. Schuch FB, Vancampfort D, Firth J, Rosenbaum S, Ward PB, Silva ES, et al. Physical activity and incident depression: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Am J Psychiatry. 2018;175:631-48.
2.Russo-Neustadt A, Beard RC, Cotman CW: Exercise, antidepressant medications, and enhanced brain derived neurotrophic factor expression. Neuropsychopharmacology 1999; 21: 679–682.
3. Deslandes A, Moraes H, Ferreira C, et al. Exercise and mental health: many reasons to move. Neuropsychobiology. 2009;59(4):191-198. doi:10.1159/000223730
4. Schuch FB, Vancampfort D, Richards J, Rosenbaum S, Ward PB, Stubbs B. Exercise as a treatment for depression: a meta-analysis adjusting for publication bias. J Psychiatr Res. 2016;77:42-51.
5. Schuch FB, Vancampfort D. Physical activity, exercise, and mental disorders: it is time to move on. Trends Psychiatry Psychother. 2021;43(3):177-184. doi:10.47626/2237-6089-2021-0237
