The effects of exercise on mental illness

The video looks at how exercise affects mental health, specifically for the adult and elderly populations. An exercise physiologist, who is a part of the Stay Well program at St. Josephs's Hospital, was interviewed to share his expertise on the benefits of exercise.

This video was made by McMaster students Ava Oliaei, Nour Eddin Garada and Nadia Butt in collaboration with the McMaster Demystifying Medicine Program.

This video is provided for general and educational information only. Please consult your health care provider for Information about your health.

Copyright McMaster University 2019

#DemystifyingMedicine, #MentalHealth

Kids Help Phone: [phone]

Hope for Wellness Help Line: 1-855-242-3310

Canada Mental Health Association crisis line: 1-833-456-4566

If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved on, the Canada Suicide Prevention Service is available 24/7 for voice support.

References

Chekroud, S. R., Gueorguieva, R., Zheutlin, A. B., Paulus, M., Krumholz, H. M., Krystal, J. H., & Chekroud, A. M. (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), 739–746. doi: 10.1016/s2215-0366(18)30227-x

Craft, L. L., & Landers, D. M. (1998). The Effect of Exercise on Clinical Depression and Depression Resulting from Mental Illness: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 20(4), 339–357. doi: 10.1123/jsep.20.4.339


Lavie, C. J., Arena, R., Swift, D. L., Johannsen, N. M., Sui, X., Lee, D.-C., … Blair, S. N. (2015). Exercise and the Cardiovascular System. Circulation Research, 117(2), 207–219. doi: 10.1161/circresaha.117.305205

Malchow, B., Reich-Erkelenz, D., Oertel-Knöchel, V., Keller, K., Hasan, A., Schmitt, A., … Falkai, P. (2013). The effects of physical exercise in schizophrenia and affective disorders. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 263(6), 451–467. doi: 10.1007/s00406-013-0423-2

Radak, Z., Hart, N., Sarga, L., Koltai, E., Atalay, M., Ohno, H., & Boldogh, I. (2010). Exercise Plays a Preventive Role Against Alzheimers Disease. Journal of Alzheimers Disease, 20(3), 777–783. doi: 10.3233/jad-2010-091531

Sharma, A., Madaan, V., & Petty, F. D. (2006). Exercise for Mental Health. The Primary Care Companion to The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 08(02), 106. doi: 10.4088/pcc.v08n0208

[Inessights]

It's true . When I started working out daily I become happier 😊

[OGvibes-tqzl]

I use to smoke weed and cigarettes everyday, it messed up my mindset and I was so unmotivated, just finished high-school, got no girlfriend and I'm stuck. so one night when I was drunk lol I started doing like 300 situps beside my bed, my back was aching pain, my whole body was just in pain but I still kept going. Now Im on a strict diet and make ab workouts a morning routine for me. My mind just feels fresh and I have some thought of what I wanna do in my life. I could even tell that all my friends were just taking advantage of me, so I deleted Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram and only social media I go on is YouTube I watch self improvement videos on how to be more mature and man the hell up. I'm thinking of joining the defence force later on in my life and going uni to do further studies at the same time.

[salmanhussain]

I hate self-diagnosing myself, but I am sure I suffer from depression and anxiety... lack of confidence, self-worth and motivation... But, I have noticed that whenever I do exercise, it miraculously improves my mental health. I feel light and energetic, my mind feels fresh... but, I must confess I am not regular, and tend to fall back into the same abyss again and again. Hopefully, things will improve in future.

[wagdymosa]

Exercise has been an integral part of my life since I was 13 years old. I'm now 49 and I can still maintain the same physical health and wellbeing that I had as a teenager. I believe that exercise is the key to achieving whatever goals you set for yourself in life.

[icewave]

I started working out and started hearing voices like 8 years ago when I was 18 (I'm 26 now). I used to play sports and go to the gym but I didn't do that often. It got worse each day. I've started going to the gym again and have noticed my mental health has improved.

[averynmitchell]

I’ve had anxiety and depression since I was 8 years old (I am almost 19 now). I don’t exercise regularly at all, and during this pandemic, I’ve been staying at home in bed all day and feel like I don’t have any worth— in myself or to give to make a difference in this world. My therapist says exercise would be good for me and that’s why I’m checking out this vid. Honestly though, I’m having trouble figuring out what exercise I should do... it feels like I’m always dreading it so I avoid it. 🤦🏻‍♀️

[healthycitizen]

Im by far a exercise expert but I been taking it serious for 5 years now age 17-22 currently, and throughout these years mainly in the beginning I was exercising everyday 5 times a week and I noticed that I was calmer and more in a peaceful state, I was optimistic and happier, I liked to challenge myself and grow as a human being . And I got lazy with working out when I finished school and from 18-21 I noticed that when I didn’t exercise I wasnt at my full optimal, efficent, peaceful minded self and now im 22 and doing better in life I definitely want to keep exercise in my life because it’s brought me so far in life physically and mentally . Now a thing most people forget when their constantly working their body is to also work the mind by reading and meditating . If you workout, read and meditate you will go alot further vs exercise alone.

[thegriefgardener]

I think the length of the exercise is not important but the physical act of completing exercise on a daily habit is the key to changing your mental health.

[ruthmaryrose]

Thank you. This is very helpful. I’m 74 years old and have never had a serious exercise program and want to get started. I especially appreciate that you showed at the end the one exercise which is helpful and everyone can do. There are so many exercises and it can be difficult to know where to start.

[Luke-vfqc]

I had quit drinking and smoking coz it messed me up. I'm glad I found out the consequences. Just gonna focus on being both mentally and physically active

[mrsaqibjaved]

Namaz ( salah/prayer ) is the best exercise for everybody especially beginners ❤️ Alhamdulilah . Try it

[sav]

Exercising and lifting has literally saved my life

[ASMinor]

I am an avid #MentalHealthAwareness advocate and spoken word performer, and I love this so much. I travel the country trying to bring that awareness on stages, in classrooms, hospitals, and on my YouTube channel, so I get excited when I see other advocates. 💙❤

[iosuamaalo]

Thank you I suffer from depression and anxiety bt ill do this

[healthshopplus]

Great message, proven to enhance both mental and physical health

[everydayfun]

I think excersize makes me feel more good about myself cause it helps me take care of myself and that I'm taking the initiative to improve mentally and physically.

[jimmythegreat]

Thank you for adding more work for my physical education class

[infoalirizaburki]

Exactly what has been said in this video is really true and genuine

[Lazy.Eye]

Instead of making me happier, exercise really exhausts me and makes me extremely angry and makes me get mental breakdowns. It's just really annoying because I heard that exercising can apparently make you feel good but it just doesn't make me feel good at all

[aliffarhan]

Guess it depends on the individuals, 3+ hours of exercise a day might be bad for some, perhaps. Personally, it's been fine for me. I used to do boxing and we'd train at least 3 hours a day - 4 to 5 days a week. Thankfully, I haven't had major injuries.