EXERCISE

Exercise in an incredibly powerful tool to aid in a variety of mental health conditions. See below to see how exercise can positively affect general mental health as well as specific conditions such as depression and anxiety.

Workout Video

EXERCISE MODALITIES

RESISTANCE TRAINING

Resistance training can be done anywhere. Body weight movements include pushups, handstand pushups, dips, pullups, horizontal pullups, two leg squats and split squats, single legs squats such as pistol squats and step-downs, two leg deadlifts and single leg deadlifts, and various lunge positions. All the above can also be done with additional resistance. Resistance usually involves using weight belts and weight vests for bodyweight movements, dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells, cables, bands, and gravity.

Recent meta-analyses indicate that resistance training clearly improves conditions of anxiety. It was shown that the positive effects of resistance training applied to both healthy individuals and individuals with illness or condition. (Gordon et al., 2017)

WALKLING

Walking is one of the easiest ways to get daily movement in. It is low impact and easy to incorporate throughout the day. Easier ways to get more steps in is to park farther away in a parking lot from your destination, taking stairs instead of elevators or escalators, and if you own dog(s) taking a longer path when going out.

Walking and in particular walking outside in nature rather than in and indoor artificial environment has shown to have positive impacts on depression and anxiety. (Kelly et al., 2018)

TEAM SPORTS

Team sports is a great setting both physically and socially. It is health for the body as it gets your body moving and it also fulfills our human need for social interaction and connection. College students can participate in a various club or team sports during the school year such as basketball, soccer, football, tennis, and more!

It has been shown that there is quite a significant relationship between an individuals participation in a team sport and lowered levels of depression as well as improved sleep quality due to the increased physical activity. (Johnston et al., 2021)

AQUATIC ACTIVITIES

Aquatic activities includes any physical activity (excluding activities requiring equipment such as kayaking, sailing, surfing, etc.) that takes place in a body of water. This includes competitive and recreational swimming in any body of water including indoor and outdoor pools, lakes, oceans, saltwater, freshwater, water treated with chlorine, etc. In a recent review, every study looked at reported positive effects on mental health post aquatic activity intervention. (Jackson et al., 2022)

REFERENCES

Gordon, B. R., McDowell, C. P., Lyons, M., & Herring, M. P. (2017). The effects of resistance exercise training on anxiety: A meta-analysis and meta-regression
analysis of randomized controlled trials. Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 47(12), 2521–2532. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-017-0769-0

Kelly, P., Williamson, C., Niven, A. G., Hunter, R., Mutrie, N., & Richards, J. (2018). Walking on sunshine: scoping review of the evidence for walking and mental
health. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52(12), 800-806. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-098827

Johnston, S. A., Roskowski, C., He, Z., Kong, L., & Chen, W. (2021). Effects of team sports on anxiety,
depression, perceived stress, and sleep quality in college students. Journal of American College Health, 69
(7), 791-797. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2019.1707836

Jackson, M., Kang, M., Furness, J., & Kemp-Smith, K. (2022). Aquatic exercise and mental health: A scoping review. Complementary Therapies in Medicine,
102820. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2022.102820

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