Mental health professionals have long wondered about the relationship between mood and physical activity. An article published in Medical News Today January 15, 2009, "Improving Mood And Serious Mental Illness With Physical Activity,"examines this issue.The article reports on a study published in the November 2008 issue of the International Journal of Social Psychiatry. The study involved “…11 people from the U.S.and 12 people from Serbia.”The results were interesting. “…even meager levels of physical activity can improve the mood of people with serious mental illnesses (SMI) such as bipolar disorder, major depression and schizophrenia.” The researchers found “ …a positive association between physical activity level and positive mood when low to moderate levels of physical activity are considered…Physical activity interventions that require lower levels of exertion might be more conducive to improving transitory mood, or the ups and downs people with SMI experience throughout the day." The study points to the conclusion that even modest physical activity show be part of the daily treatment plan for this patient population. Modest physical activity includes “…most forms of sustained movement, such as house cleaning, gardening, walking for transportation or formal exercise.”
The Bottom Line: Even modest physical activity has a beneficial effect on mood in individuals with serious mental illness.
Reference: Original Article
Resources:
Great Youtube Video on Exercise and Depression:
Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:
Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General
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