Most people know that there is probably some psychological effect of physical activity and exercise. After all, your mind does feel a little clearer on days when you go for a run. This article will briefly outline some of the emotional and mental benefits of physical activity according to recent psychology research.
The psychological effects of exercise
There has been a lot of research on the psychological benefits of physical activity, with the results of just a few summarized here.
One correlational study examined the relationship between physical activity levels and emotional intelligence in undergraduate students (Acebes-Sánchez et al., 2019). They found that “leisure-time physical activity” was associated with increased emotional attention, specifically increased emotional attention and emotional repair. Leisure-time physical activity was defined as physical activity that was not related to one’s occupation or commute.
A review surveyed the relationship between physical activity and academic achievement (Álvarez-Bueno et al., 2017). They found that physical activity interventions (specifically, physical activity interventions (PA) like curricular physical education (PE), integrated or extracurricular PA, and after-school PA and sports programs) in children aged 4 to 13 can improve academic achievement. In particular, they found that PA benefits math skills and reading skills as well as classroom behavior.
A different study investigated the effects of physical activity on academic achievement in math in fourth graders (Dapp & Roebers, 2019). They found that two hours of “structured” physical activity was the most beneficial type of physical activity. Specifically, the results indicated that this structured activity increased the self-concept of these children and aided their academic achievement in math.
One study examined the psychological effects of a workplace intervention encouraging participants to walk 10,000 steps a day for 100 days (Hallam et al., 2018). They found that the participants showed improved stress levels and wellbeing along with reduced levels of depression and anxiety. The authors note that the psychological gains associated with these interventions are inexpensive and can lead to savings for workplaces based on reduced absenteeism and increased productivity.
One paper studied the relationship between aerobic fitness levels and language production abilities in healthy older adults (Segaert et al., 2018). Specifically, they examined “tip-of-the-tongues states”, which occur when someone knows a word but cannot produce it. The results showed that healthy older adults with higher aerobic fitness levels experienced fewer “tip-of-the-tongue states”.
Finally, one study examined the psychological effects of a stair-climbing intervention in healthy, young undergraduate students (Stenling et al., 2019). The brief stair-climbing intervention consisted of a “2-min warm up, 45-s instructional interval, 1-min stair climbing, 1-min recovery, 1-min stair climbing, 1-min recovery, 1-min stair climbing, and 3-min cool down”. The results showed that this intervention led to increased energy and reduced feelings of tension and tiredness.
Wrapping up
Exercising is beneficial for physical health, but it also has positive effects on mental health. Research has shown that there are benefits for school-age children, young adults, and older adults, meaning that physical activity is beneficial no matter who you are. In other words, whether you want to improve your physical health or mental health, exercising is a good idea.
References
Acebes-Sánchez, J., Diez-Vega, I., Esteban-Gonzalo, S., Rodriguez-Romo, G. (2019). Physical activity and emotional intelligence among undergraduate students: a correlational study. BMC Public Health, 19(1), 1241. doi: 10.1186/s12889-019-7576-5.
Álvarez-Bueno, C., Pesce, C., Cavero-Redondo, I., Sánchez-López, M., Garrido-Miguel, M., Martínez-Vizcaíno, V. Academic Achievement and Physical Activity: A Meta-analysis. Pediatrics, 140(6), e20171498. doi: 10.1542/peds.2017-1498.
Dapp, L.C., Roebers, C.M. (2019). The Mediating Role of Self-Concept between Sports-Related Physical Activity and Mathematical Achievement in Fourth Graders. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(15), E2658. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16152658.
Hallam, K.T., Bilsborough, S., de Courten, M. (2018). “Happy feet”: evaluating the benefits of a 100-day 10,000 step challenge on mental health and wellbeing. BMC Psychiatry, 18(1), 19. doi: 10.1186/s12888-018-1609-y.
Segaert, K., Lucas, S.J.E., Burley, C.V., Segaert, P., Milner, A.E., Ryan, M., Wheeldon, L. (2018). Higher physical fitness levels are associated with less language decline in healthy ageing. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 6715. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-24972-1.
Stenling, A., Moylan, A., Fulton, E., Machado, L. (2019). Effects of a Brief Stair-Climbing Intervention on Cognitive Performance and Mood States in Healthy Young Adults. Frontiers in Psychology, 10(1), 2300. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02300.
