Every study I'm familiar with says that exercise is good for improving your mental health > but wait. Now they're saying it's possible to have too much of a good thing.
Too Much Exercise May Lead to Diminished Mental Health
Brittany Keithley October 24th, 2012
Although fitness keeps your body healthy by regulating weight and building muscle strength, exercise also can improve your mind. An increase in self-esteem, lessening of anxiety, calming of the nerves and elevation of your mood can be results of exercise. However, a recent study by professors at Teachers College at Columbia University, New York, reported that too much exercise can lead to diminished mental health.
People who exercised more than 7.5 hours per week had sharply increased symptoms of depression and anxiety, irrespective of age, gender or physical health status, according to “The Relationship between Physical Activity and General Mental Health” report.
So what is the optimum amount of physical activity associated with better mental health? Depending on gender, age and general physical health, people who exercise 2.5 to 7.5 hours per week report better mental health. However, the largest mental health benefits occurred with two to four hours of exercise per week. Sixty-five percent of those with poorer mental health exercised more than four hours per week, the report found.
This study raises other questions. Do people who tend to be depressed and anxious engage in extended physical exercise as a way of keeping their mental symptoms under control? Or do repeated, long-lasting exercise sessions or overtraining actually cause symptoms of depression and anxiety? What do you think?
Good question... what do you think about this? Are there some people in your class that are "self medicating" with exercise and possibly over-dosing?
Originally posted 2012-10-25 06:15:33.
John is a member on the AFS (Association of Fitness Studios) Advisory Council.
Holding certifications from; Schwinn, Heart Zones, Team ICG and Life Time Fitness, John's held regularly scheduled cycling classes between 1998 and 2015 when he moved to Florida.
When the weather permits, you'll find him riding and leading outdoor groups by himself or with his Tandem partner (wife) Amy.
- ICI Podcast 238 Meet Nerd Fitness Creator Steve Kamb - April 6, 2024
- ICI/PRO Podcast #113 Explosive Power pt 3 – Video PROfile with Tom Scotto from Stage 5 Cycling - March 31, 2024
- Spinning RideBook of class profiles - March 28, 2024
I am very skeptical of this study. First because I have to pay $31.50 to get the text and understand how they selected the people that participated. Secondly, because I can not see who is sponsoring the study. And Third because, exercising is always good when tailored to your abilities.
I think what needs to be addressed here is how much effort is enough effort? In the case of spin, why do people think that trying to go for beastly amounts of effort for prolonged amounts of time is beneficial. Over-training is the real issue in the room. And for that I recommend using HRV as a guide for how much should you exercise or rest. But I digress.
Keep up the good work and bringing up good articles.
Thanks Alan – I wasn’t aware that you needed to purchase the study. I also agree that there will always be groups conducting “studies” with the expressed purpose of promoting an agenda.
You bring up a good point about over-training which is often identified by a depressed mood = too much exercise can be a bad thing.
But what we already knew that, didn’t we?