Exercise for Mood and Anxiety is a book written by two psychology professors, Dr. Michael Otto and Dr. Jasper Smits. This post has some notes from the book.
• A study of 55,000 adults in the USA and Canada found that people who exercised had fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression.
• A study of over 10,000 Harvard alumni over 20 years found that rates of depression were linked to the amount of physical activity the alumni reported.
• A study of adolescents showed that 16% who were not physically active developed an anxiety disorder over a 4-year period, compared to only 8% of those who exercised regularly.
• A study of firefighters found that those who completed a 16-week exercise program had lower heart rates and blood pressure, as well as lower anxiety and negative mood when faced with stressors.
• Prolonged exercise results in increased serotonin metabolism.
• A study found that 45% of depressed people in a supervised exercise group and 40% in a home exercise group no longer met criteria for major depression after the intervention, rates that were comparable to a 47% improvement in a group that took antidepressants.
• A study of anxious people showed that six 20-minute sessions of exercise across two weeks led to a reduction in anxiety comparable to that seen after twelve 90-minute sessions of psychotherapy across three months.
• A review of eleven studies shows that exercise works as well as psychotherapy in treating depression.
• Both aerobic and anaerobic exercise have been found to be helpful in treating depression, though moderate exercise is more effective than lower doses of exercise.
• Research has found that the immediate effects of exercise on mood and anxiety tend to be greater among persons who have higher levels of anxiety or more negative moods in general.
• A study found that people with overpositive fantasies of success were less likely to get the outcomes they desired.
• Memories of an emotional event tend to be biased by what happened at the end of the event. If you complete your exercise session on a more positive note, you will be more motivated to exercise in the future.
• The results of over 29 studies that involved more than 2,000 people demonstrate that aerobic exercise improves attention, mental processing speed, and memory.
• A study found that imagining enjoyment and energy helped people feel better during exercise.
• A study showed that bicyclists improved their performance while listening to music they preferred.
• Studies indicate that interval training can provide more benefits than continuous exercise.
• A study found that a dietary pattern characterized by fried foods, refined grains, sugary products, and beer was associated with higher mood distress scores.
• Data from 3,486 adults in the UK found that a high consumption of processed meat, fried food, refined grains, dairy products, sweetened desserts, chocolates, and condiments was associated with higher depression scores. A Mediterranean diet was associated with lower depression scores.
• Using smaller plates leads to less food consumption while still providing feelings of satiety.
