Move for your Mood
Most of us are aware that exercising regularly has many amazing benefits. We typically think of these in relation to physical benefits. Some examples of these include improved cardiovascular fitness, reduced risk of chronic diseases (e.g. diabetes), stronger muscles and better bone density. But, did you know that engaging in regular physical activity has been shown to have benefits for our mental health too? This is important to consider as according to The Government of Canada 25 percent of seniors live with a mental health problem (such as depression or anxiety).
A number of studies have shown that physical activity of various types (such as cycling or gym activities) helps to reduce the burden associated with mental health concerns. For example, a study completed by Chekroud et al. (2018) in the US included over 1 million participants and found that people who engaged in physical activity had approximately 43% fewer days of poor mental health over the past month than people who did not exercise.
It is thought that these benefits occur as a result of the increase in oxygen rich blood flow to the brain during exercise. In addition to this, exercise leads to higher levels of certain chemicals to be produced by our nervous system. One of these chemicals is serotonin, which has an important role in regulating our mood. Other research has indicated that the social aspect of group exercise classes may be associated with improving psychological wellbeing and mood in seniors (Brown et al., 2008).
With this in mind, why not join one of our group exercise classes today? See the full list of our locations at www.physipod.ca/classes or reach out via email info@physipod.ca.
References
Brown, A.K. et al. (2008) “The effect of group-based exercise on cognitive performance and mood in seniors residing in intermediate care and self-care retirement facilities: A randomised controlled trial,” British Journal of Sports Medicine, 43(8), pp. 608–614. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2008.049882.
Chekroud, S.R. et al. (2018) “Association between physical exercise and mental health in 1·2 million individuals in the USA between 2011 and 2015: A cross-sectional study,” The Lancet Psychiatry, 5(9), pp. 739–746. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/s2215-0366(18)30227-x.