Long before our slow-paced lives of today, people had to be active in order to survive. Today, many of us in Northwest Arkansas do not get adequate exercise for our bodies let alone our brain. We know that our bodies develop all kinds of problems without proper exercise, however, research has shown that our brain also needs our bodies to be active.
A recent study in Amsterdam has found a link between depression and anxiety disorder symptoms and the lack of exercise. The study used three different activities which were no activity or just sitting, normal daily activity, and participation in sports or regular exercise and how they influenced depressed and anxious moods.
Researchers took information from individuals that suffered from anxiety and depression symptoms to understand the relationship between emotions and exercise. The published report only focuses on how exercise influenced anxiety and depression.
The report was very specific on the way exercise affected the symptoms of anxiety disorder. Other tests have shown that by running, it is possible to calm down a panic attack as you will be raising your heart rate through running which is in a way beating the panic attack to the finish line.
The report by the researchers in Amsterdam compiled information from 2,981 individuals from the age of 18 through 65 along with information from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety. A few individuals were removed from the study if they were suffering from extreme addiction, psychosis, bipolar, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. The study looked at specific years which were two, four, and six. After the six-year mark, only 75 of the individuals were retained.
Through the information, the researchers found that data previously published and theirs were very similar in that individuals that suffer from depression and anxiety disorder do not exercise as much as those that do not have these problems. These individuals even move around less during the day than what is considered to be healthy. What was noted was that if there was no physical activity, the symptoms were severe.
From the study, researchers determined that there is a relationship between these symptoms and exercise even with low physical activity and more so with participating in sports or regular exercise.
Our bodies and our brains need us to be mobile in order to live a full and healthy life. Is it time to put a little exercise in your schedule?