Exercise Effect on Anxiety
Student’s Name
Class Name
Institution
Abstract
In a rapidly developing world, many people are taking up lifestyles that meet current trends, such as the need to be active on social media platforms and meet specific career goals. However, in doing so, they have adversely affected their psychological state through issues such as depression and high anxiety levels. For example, there are increasing cases of drug abuse and suicides in many areas due to uncontrollable depression levels. Such instances call for more strategies to handle this menace, which affects both adults and adolescents. The research proves that exercises affect anxiety in several ways. Firstly, they help to promote alertness, cognitive performance, and reduce tiredness, especially when stress levels deplete one’s energy. Secondly, physical training is significant in lifting one’s mood and thus helping to relieve stress. Finally, regular exercise helps to supplement treatment options by reducing the rate of anxiety and other mental issues. This study topic amplifies the role of training by highlighting the difference between physically active and inactive individuals.
Keywords: depression, physical exercise, cognitive abilities, physically active
Introduction
Over the past few years, a notable upsurge in cases of physical disorders has been detailed. A majority of individuals, both adults, and adolescents, are faced with these mental conditions that adversely impact their lives through irritability, restlessness, and the fear of social interactions. These consequences illustrate how mental issues have grown into some of the most common illnesses. As a result, victims are exposed to cardiovascular diseases, traumas, and hypertension. Consequently, many researchers have put in much effort to find the origins and remedies of these mental issues. A majority of these investigations prove that anxiety is a medical circumstance that can be treated in various ways, such as through regular exercise. This paper thus proposes to analyze the consequences of exercise on consternation using several articles and books by different authors.
Literature Review
Since time immemorial, people have always had different perspectives on stress. In ancient times, people viewed anxiety as a symbol of fear rather than a medical condition (Horwitz, 2013). One’s social status was a very vital aspect in determining whether they ought to display their fears or not. Among the Greeks and Romans, the war was one of the activities that brought high tension among the soldiers. Nonetheless, those who were highly ranked were prohibited from expressing weakness. Fortunately, scientists in the 21st century began investigations on the physiological and psychological nature of anxiousness.
Impacts of Exercises on Anxiety
Exercise significantly affects anxiety due to its ability to promote alertness, cognitive performance, and reduce tiredness, especially when stress levels deplete one’s energy. When depression hits, serotonin, a chemical in the body, plays a significant role in regulating the activities in the brain to organize one’s behaviors. As stated by the book Serotonin and Anxiety by Caio Maximino, the role of serotonin is more complicated than what people think (Maximino, 2012). The serotonergic innervation of the brain regions also arises from the dorsal raphe nucleus. However, it is not excluded from the neurochemical, physiological, and anatomical analysis. As such, stress levels affect both the brain and other body organs.
A group of researchers also investigated the effects of aerobic and resistance exercises on their subjects (Hill, Gibson, Wagerman, Flores & Kelly, 2019). The participants were involved in three experimental tests ranging from cycling at a self-determined intensity, standard sets, to seated rest. In this particular investigation, anxiety levels immediately reduced one completed their aerobic exercises. Moreover, the participants’ cognitive abilities improved due to the minimized stress levels (Hill et al., 2019). The resistant exercise lacked any significant impact in reducing one’s depression as well as improving their intelligence.
Any form of exercise is significant in lifting one’s mood and thus helping to relieve stress. Despite these effects ending with time, they are still vital in offering solutions to managing one’s emotions. In an inquiry on the connection between the repetitive exercises and their role in controlling negative emotions among women, an equal number of subjects who frequently and non-frequently exercised was identified (Ligeza, Kałamała, Tarnawczyk, Maciejczyk & Wyczesany, 2019). Their emotional control was then assessed in one scenario using electrophysiological and behavioral measures. Frequently active participants had better capabilities to manage their bad emotions as compared to those who were inactive. This result was enhanced by the correlation between the frequency of training and the Late Positive Potential (LPP), one of the emotional markers for the electrophysiological measure.
Additionally, regular exercise helps to supplement treatment options by reducing the rate of anxiety and other mental issues. When a patient engages in regular exercise, their anxiety and illness symptoms are majorly alleviated. For example, in an investigation carried out on the outcomes of exercise on worry in HIV positive persons, there was an improvement in the treatment process of the patients. This is because physical exercise helped in reducing perturbation among the victims, even though the impact levels were different for each case (Heissel et al., 2019). The researchers analyzed various databases and incorporated the gathered information with Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs). All the participants were above eighteen years old, with 49.67% of them being females. Additionally, random-effects designs were used to compute the average differences as well as the heterogeneity. A similar study was conducted but with a bias in Transdiagnostic Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy (TCBGT) and an exercise program (Ólafsdóttir, Kristjánsdóttir & Saavedra, (2017). Fifteen participants with depressive symptoms were asked to follow an exercise program and then assessed with a valid questionnaire. The results proved that exercise programs were more effective in treating depression, unlike the TCBGT.
Still, on the aspect of medication, High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has been proven to minimize impulsive behavior among mentally-ill adolescents (Lee, Boafo, Greenham & Longmuir, 2019). Recovery from mental issues often needs some level of inhibitory control, which can be promoted by regular physical training. To discover how intense interval training affected mentally ill adolescents, four researchers randomly selected their experimental and control groups from a children’s hospital (Lee et al., 2019). The subjects engaged in physical exercises while the control group read magazines. As a result, bodyweight training was essential in promoting the inhibitory controls by increasing efficiency as compared to correct reactions.
To amplify the role of exercises in coping with stress, those who are physically active are less prone to developmental issues throughout the period. This raises prime concern, especially at a time when sedentary lifestyles are on the rise. According to a study titled Physical Activity, Exercise, Sedentary Behavior, and Health, physical training can help in preventing mental and other body conditions (Kanosue, Oshima, Cao, & Oka, 2015). This is because the body has a unique way in which its systems, such as the nervous system, vascular abilities, and the endocrine system, respond to exercises. Correspondingly, the ultimate result would be a healthier life.
To further assess the impact of sedentary activities on body disorders such as anxieties, and reduced cognitive performance, a team of investigators used longitudinal and cross-sectional associations in their study. In this Rotterdam study, 1841 subjects were assessed for depressive signs during their inactive hours (Koolhaas, 2019). They wore a wrist actigraph for several years. The results were analyzed using a depression scale in conjunction with interviews. It was identified that there is no direct link between these activities at baseline and mental disorders; however, some lifestyles were prone to trigger several illnesses.
An Application of Exercises in Reducing Anxiety
One significant area where exercises have been adopted in reducing stress levels in endurance sports. This type of game usually involves much muscle stretching for long periods. According to Endurance Sports Medicine edited by Timothy Miller, endurance athletes are exposed to common conditions like asthma (Miller, 2016). Further, this sporting area is also affected by gender differences, anxiety, and musculoskeletal conditions. To effectively deal with these drawbacks, athletes need to have a suitable exercise program as well as proper nutrition and medical covers.
Conclusion
A rapid increase in mental issues calls for more efforts in combating this menace. Anxiety has grown from a symbol of fear to a medical state that affects the entire body. Many findings from various studies prove that one of the critical ways of managing anxiety includes regular physical exercise. Such activities are known to reduce the probability of acquiring various diseases and generally improve the wellbeing of an individual. Physical training has played an essential role in reducing anxiety levels. Foremost, exercises help to promote alertness, cognitive performance, and reduce tiredness, especially when stress levels deplete one’s energy. Secondly, physical training is significant in lifting one’s mood and thus helping to relieve stress. Finally, regular exercise helps to supplement treatment options by reducing the rate of anxiety and other mental issues. Regular exercise helps to increase the intelligence of an individual and also assists them in controlling their emotions. Additionally, exercises can be incorporated into a treatment plan to ease the consequences of an illness and help to promote behavioral inhibitory factors. Every person ought to invest in an effective exercise program, which includes walking and having daily workout goals. The process needs to be enjoyable; thus, one can train while listening to music. This examination was unable to verify all the results of disports in all areas. Future studies, therefore, need to validate this study more so the reasons as to why there are differences between the impact levels of exercises on anxiety.
References
Heissel, A., Zech, P., Rapp, M., Schuch, F., Lawrence, J., Kangas, M., & Heinzel, S. (2019). Exercise effects on depression and anxiety in persons living with HIV: A meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 126, 109823. Www-Sciencedirect-Com.Libezp.Lib.Lsu.Edu, 2020, https://www-sciencedirect-com.libezp.lib.lsu.edu/science/article/pii/S0022399919301734.
Hill, M., Gibson, A., Wagerman, S., Flores, E., & Kelly, L. (2019). “Effects Of Aerobic Exercise On State Anxiety And Cognitive Function. Science & Sports”. Www-Sciencedirect-Com.Libezp.Lib.Lsu.Edu, 2020, https://www-sciencedirect-com.libezp.lib.lsu.edu/science/article/pii/S0765159718303289.
Horwitz, Allan V. (2013) “Anxiety: A Short History.” Muse-Jhu-Edu.Libezp.Lib.Lsu.Edu, 2020, https://muse-jhu-edu.libezp.lib.lsu.edu/chapter/979778/pdf.
Kanosue, K., Oshima, S., Cao, Z., & Oka, K. (2015). “Physical Activity, Exercise, Sedentary Behavior, and Health.” Link-Springer-Com.Libezp.Lib.Lsu.Edu, 2020, https://link-springer-com.libezp.lib.lsu.edu/book/10.1007%2F978-4-431-55333-5.
Koolhaas, C., van Rooij, F., Kocevska, D., Luik, A., Ikram, M., Franco, O., & Tiemeier, H. (2019). Sedentary time, mental and cognitive health: Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations in The Rotterdam Study. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 17, 100296. DOI: 10.1016/j.mhpa.2019.100296. Www-Sciencedirect-Com.Libezp.Lib.Lsu.Edu, 2020, https://www-sciencedirect-com.libezp.lib.lsu.edu/science/article/pii/S1755296619300559.
Lee, J., Boafo, A., Greenham, S., & Longmuir, P. (2019). High-intensity interval training on inhibitory control in adolescents hospitalized for mental illness. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 17, 100298. DOI: 10.1016/j.mhpa.2019.100298. Www-Sciencedirect-Com.Libezp.Lib.Lsu.Edu, 2020, https://www-sciencedirect-com.libezp.lib.lsu.edu/science/article/pii/S1755296619300419.
Ligeza, T., Kałamała, P., Tarnawczyk, O., Maciejczyk, M., & Wyczesany, M. (2019). Physical exercise associated with better ability to regulate negative emotions in adult women: The electrophysiological evidence. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 17, 100294. DOI: 10.1016/j.mhpa.2019.100294. Www-Sciencedirect-Com.Libezp.Lib.Lsu.Edu, 2020, https://www-sciencedirect-com.libezp.lib.lsu.edu/science/article/pii/S1755296619300213?via%3Dihub.
Maximino, C. (2012). Serotonin and Anxiety: Neuroanatomical, pharmacological, and functional aspects. Springer Science & Business Media. Link-Springer-Com.Libezp.Lib.Lsu.Edu, 2020, https://link-springer-com.libezp.lib.lsu.edu/book/10.1007%2F978-1-4614-4048-2.
Miller, T. L. (2016). Endurance Sports Medicine. Springer International Publishing. Springer”. Springer.Com, 2016, https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783319329802. Accessed 15 Feb 2020.
Ólafsdóttir, K., Kristjánsdóttir, H., & Saavedra, J. (2017). Effects of Exercise on Depression and Anxiety. A Comparison of Transdiagnostic Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Community Mental Health Journal, 54(6), 855-859. DOI: 10.1007/s10597-017-0213-9. Eds-B-Ebscohost-Com.Libezp.Lib.Lsu.Edu, 2020, https://eds-b-ebscohost-com.libezp.lib.lsu.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=115073d4-616e-43a2-ba3b-28343014c8fc%40pdc-v-sessmgr03