Hit the gym for better mental health, claims study

A large section of the working population, including youngsters, lacking any form of exercise is a sure recipe for conditions and diseases such as obesity and diabetes. But that is not all. As new research has highlighted, this lack of exercise is closely linked to mental health.

In a recent study, which was published in the reputed medical journal, The Lancet, researchers analysed data from 12,37,194 people aged 18 years or older in the USA from the 2011, 2013, and 2015 Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Behavioural Risk Factors Surveillance System survey. 

Then, the number of days of bad self-reported mental health of individuals who exercised and those who did not were compared. 

Researchers found that individuals who exercised had 43·2 per cent fewer days of poor mental health than individuals who did not. However, besides these studies done in the West, there is nothing that has been done to help doctors here lay emphasis on the link, noted Dr P Jose, a psychiatrist. 

“With no strong local evidence, it is difficult to convince the people that the two are related. Despite seeing the link among persons daily, it takes time to convince patients that exercise will help them improve their mental health,” he said. Stating that many cases that are brought to him are of persons suffering from loneliness, he added, “They refrain from stepping out of their box or their comfort zone. I have therefore prescribed exercises to most of them; cycling has been one of the most important activities I suggest.” 

Stressing on the fact that the mind cannot function unless the body is working properly, he added, “It works both ways. The state of your mind affects your body and vice versa. To work properly, your body needs regular exercise and most of us feel good when we are active. It is therefore important to involve yourself in different kinds of team-oriented sports, cycling, and aerobic exercise, which are found to be the most beneficial to mental health.” However, exercising is not just about developing muscles, added Arun K, a trainer. 

“It helps an individual get develop a sense of wellbeing, giving the person more self-confidence. It helps an individual feel more energetic, sleep better and have sharper memories,” he said. 

“It enables the person to feel more relaxed, thereby, checking in possibility of depression or sadness. It is therefore important that the people be made aware of the link and eventually take it more seriously,” Arun said. 

While the study published in The Lancet found that exercise was related to better mental health, it also revealed that people doing extreme amounts of exercise might have a greater risk of poor mental health.