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| September 26, 2012 | How exercise can help keep both body and mind healthy | |
Washington: Exercise is not just good for physical health, but it can also boost our mental health, say experts. Now, a new study has explored psycho-social factors that may help to explain connection between physical activity and mental health.
Karin Monshouwer of the Trimbos Institute in the Netherlands and colleagues at
Trimbos and VU University Medical Center specifically wanted to examine two existing
explanations for the link between exercise and mental health. The self-image hypothesis
suggests that physical activity has positive effects on body weight and body structure,
leading to positive feedback from peers and improved self-image, and ultimately
improving mental health. The social interaction hypothesis, on the other hand,
holds that it’s the social aspects of physical activity – such as social relationships
and mutual support among team members – that contribute to the positive effects
of exercise on mental health. Monshouwer and her colleagues surveyed over 7000
Dutch students, ages 11 to 16. The adolescents completed validated surveys aimed
at assessing their physical activity, mental health problems, body weight perception,
and participation in organized sports. The researchers also gathered data on the
adolescents’ age, gender, and socioeconomic status; whether they lived at home
with their parents; and whether they lived in an urban area. The researchers found
that adolescents who were physically inactive or who perceived their bodies as
either “too fat” or “too thin” were at greater risk for both internalizing problems
(e.g., depression, anxiety) and externalizing problems (e.g., aggression, substance
abuse). Adolescents who participated in organized sports, on the other hand, were
at lower risk for mental health problems. Confirming both the self-image hypothesis
and the social interaction hypothesis, adolescents’ body weight perception (i.e.,
“too heavy,” “good,” or “too thin”) and sports club membership each partially
accounted for the relationship between physical activity and mental health, even
after taking adolescents’ backgrounds into account. These results suggested that
certain psychosocial factors – body image and social interaction – may help to
explain at least part of the connection between physical activity and mental health.
The researchers acknowledge, however, that other factors, such as the physiological
effects of exercise, are probably also at work. “We think that these findings
are important for policymakers and anyone who works in healthcare or prevention.
Our findings indicate that physical activity may be one effective tool for the
prevention of mental health problems in adolescence,” said Monshouwer. Monshouwer
and her colleagues hope that future studies will be able to examine similar questions
while following participants over time. Such longitudinal studies could help researchers
to understand how physical activity type and context might influence the relationship
between exercise and mental health. The study is described in an article in Clinical
Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. |
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