Exercise

How Much Exercise Is Enough to Improve Mental Health?

It is well-known that exercise significantly improves mental health, but the quantity of exercise for optimal outcomes may still be up for debate, according to a new study of US data from 2011 to 2015.

 

“In a large US sample, physical exercise was significantly and meaningfully associated with self-reported mental health burden in the past month,” the authors of the study wrote. “[But m]ore exercise was not always better.”

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For their study, the researchers evaluated 1,237,194 US individuals aged 18 years or older. Data were obtained from the 2011, 2013, and 2015 Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 

The number of self-reported poor mental health days were compared between individuals who did and did not engage in physical activity. Individuals were matched using an exact nonparametric matching procedure to account for age, gender, and body mass index, among other factors.

 

The impact of exercise type, duration, frequency, and intensity were assessed via regression methods, with adjustment for potential confounders. Multiple sensitivity analyses were also performed.

 

Results of the study revealed that individuals who engaged in exercise had 1.49 (43.2%) fewer poor mental health days within the previous month compared with individuals who did not exercise.

 

All types of exercise were found to lower mental health burden vs no exercise, with minimum and maximum reductions of 11.8% and 22.3%, respectively. The strongest associations were observed for:

  • Popular team sports (22.3% lower)
  • Cycling (21.6% lower)
  • Aerobic and gym activities (20.1% lower)
  • Exercise durations of 45 minutes
  • Exercise frequencies of 3 to 5 times per week

 

“Specific types, durations, and frequencies of exercise might be more effective clinical targets than others for reducing mental health burden, and merit interventional study,” the researchers concluded.

 

—Christina Vogt

 

Check out our Q&A with lead study author, Dr Adam Chekroud.

 

Reference:

Chekroud SR, Gueorguieva R, Zheutlin AB, et al. Association between physical exercise and mental health in 1.2 million individuals in the USA between 2011 and 2015: a cross-sectional study [published online August 8, 2018]. Lancet Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30227-X.