EXERCISE AS A 'FEEL GOOD FACTOR'

Exercise as a 'Feel Good Factor'



Exercise as a 'Feel Good Factor'

Introduction

Exercise is, unquestionably, a great means of lifting one's mood and improving emotions. Body feels more calm and relaxed, when a person exercises. Exercise is not only about running laps around the gym but it encompasses an extensive range of activities as well that boost the activity level of person exercising to help him feel better. These activities range from lifting weights, fitness activities, playing basketball to gardening, car washing and strolling around the block: anything that can get a person off the couch and make him moving. And consequentially that can help get one's mood better. For various cause and reasons, mood problems can be present, and all aspects of our lives can be affected by them, including the workplace.

According to a study by the RAND Corporation, more days in bed are spent by patients with depression as compared to those patients with other medical disorders, like arthritis, diabetes, lung or back problems. Over 25 years have been spent by researchers systematically, analyzing the association among exercise and mood problems. It was found by researchers investigating the impacts of exercise on people with depressive moods that exercise therapy is practical and is linked with considerable therapeutic gain, especially if, over time, there is continuance in exercise program. Systematic exercise is believed by them to have a positive psychological benefit, as it appears to enhance the increase of a feeling of personal mastery and constructive self-worth. However, planning, initiating and maintaining and exercise regime is a challenging task.

Discussion

Exercise is physical activity that is structured, planned, and repetitious for the sake of conditioning any body's part. Exercise is employed for the improvement of health, maintenance of fitness, and is significant as a way of physical rehabilitation. The physical and psychological gains of exercise can also help diminish anxiety and perk up mood. According to Perraton et. al. (2009), in the management of clinical depression, exercise programmes are effective. Over the past three decades, as a treatment for clinical depression, exercise has been a popular research topic. Exercise has been demonstrated to be somewhat effective in reduction of depression as per systematic reviews, multiple trials, and meta-analyses. It has been concluded by Daley A. (2008) that as an adjunctive treatment, exercise should be suggested for depression together with other established treatments. Some recommendations are provided by Craft & Perna (2004) for exercise prescription for depression but support their intensity prescription on trials using measures of mood.

A study was conducted by Villaverde et. al., (2012) for evaluating the impact of exercise programme on postmenopausal women, having anxiety and depression's symptoms. It is found by the study that symptoms of anxiety and depression are alleviated among postmenopausal women through a controlled programme of physical exercise. Physical exercise benefits menopausal women by attenuating the impacts of the psychological and physiological changes linked up with the menopause and forbids pathologic ...