Exercise And Mental Health: How Much Is Too Much?

Exercise and mental health directly affect our overall health. Several studies show that physical exercise helps us cope better with mental health problems and significantly improves our well-being. However, a recent study confirmed that too much exercise can negatively affect our mental health. For some movers, this comes as a timely warning.

Studies

Another observational study, the world’s largest of its kind, showed that exercise enthusiasts reported less mental problems in the immobile population.

The study concluded that team sports, cycling, aerobics and gym attendance are associated with the most significant decline in the number of mental health problems. The study was conducted at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.

The purpose of the study was to obtain information on the effects of physical activity on mental health. The researchers also wanted to determine which forms of exercise elevate mood. In addition to these, they wanted to know how much exercise is too much.  The results were published in the journal Lancet Psychiatry .

“Exercise and lower mental strain are related regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, family income level, or level of education,” says Dr. Adam Chekroud, lead author of the study. Chekroud also explains: “… Details related to the distribution, sport, duration, and frequency of exercise were also an important part of this context. We are now using this information to tailor our training recommendations and to give people specific training guidelines to improve their mental health. ”

Sometimes less can be more

More exercise is not always better. The above study found that exercising three to five times a week for 45 minutes is beneficial. The study included all kinds of physical activity such as babysitting, housework, moving, fishing, biking, gym training, running and skiing.

We know that exercise reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack and diabetes. It can also potentially increase your life years a bit. In contrast, the link between exercise and mental health remains unclear. This is because research findings on the effects of exercise on mental health have been conflicting.

While some of the evidence suggests that exercise improves mental health, there are also effects in the opposite direction. For example, physical inactivity can be both a symptom and a contributor to mental health problems. Physical activity, in turn, can be a sign or contributing factor to discouragement.  The authors point out that their research is unable to show which is the cause and which is the consequence.

The study reviewed data from 1.2 million adults in all 50 states in the United States. Participants completed a survey on health risk behaviors in 2011, 2013, and 2015. In addition to demographic data, the survey included data on physical and mental health. Only depression was considered in the study.

Exercise and mental health: what is the connection between them?

Participants reported how many times during the 30 days they felt that their minds were not feeling well due to stress, depression, or other emotional problems. The researchers also asked participants how many times they had exercised in the last 30 days and for how long at a time. All results were proportional based on age, ethnicity, gender, relationship status, income and education level, work situation, body mass index, self-reported physical health, and previous diagnoses of depression.

The results showed that participants experienced problems with their mental health on an average of 3.4 days per month. Exerciseists report mental health problems on 1.9 days per month, which is 43.2% less than the inactive group.

Research results and how to interpret them

Participants with a history of depression saw an even greater decrease in the number of days of impaired mental health. In this group, exercise reduced 3.75 days of impaired mental health compared with the immobile group. This is 34.5% or 7.1 days less in the exercise group compared to 10.9 days in the non-exercise group.

The study included 75 sports that were divided into 8 categories: aerobics and gym training, cycling, home chores, team sports, recreational activities, running and jogging, walking, and winter or water sports.

All sports promoted mental health. However, the strongest evidence among the entire set of participants was among those who practiced team sports, cycling, aerobics or gym training. In these individuals, the number of mental health problems decreased by 22.3; 21.6 and 20.1%. Even doing homework is rewarding, and it brought a 10% bill.

The link between exercise and reduction in mental health problems depended on social or demographic factors. For example, those who attended high school had 17.8% fewer problems than those who attended primary school alone.  Those with a normal body mass index also experienced 4% fewer mental health problems compared to the overweight population. In addition, those with an annual income of more than $50,000 had 17% fewer days of ill-health compared to those with less earnings.

Exercise and mental health

The duration and frequency of exercise were also important factors in the study. Those who exercised three to five times a week felt that their mental health was better than those who exercised more or less than this. This means about 2.3 bad days less per month compared to just twice a week moving.

Exercise lasting 30-60 minutes showed the clearest decrease on bad days (about 2.1 less bad days compared to non-exercisers). The results were not as significant for those doing exercises lasting more than 90 minutes. Instead, more than three hours of exercise per day meant that the respondent felt his mental health was worse.  The authors pointed out that those who move too much may have obsessive traits that can risk their mental health.

Concluding remarks

Engaging in team sports resulted in a lower mental health burden, which may suggest that social activities promote an indomitable attitude. They also reduce depression by reducing the feeling of loneliness and isolation from others. These bring their own special benefits to social sports compared to other sports.

However, it is good to keep in mind that the study assessed people’s own assessments of their mental health and the amount of exercise. It therefore analyzed the state of mental health perceived itself and not objectively assessed mental health.  Participants also mentioned only their most important form of exercise. Thus, it can have a good number of uncontrolled variables if we consider people who practice more than one sport.