Sports and exercise are uppers. If you exercise or participate in any form of sport, your mood is likely to improve and your stress is likely to ease. In cases of clinical conditions such as anxiety or depression, exercise is an established tonic for mood elevation. Even sports fans, siting on their couch or in the stands, experience less depression and alienation than people with little or no interest in sports.
Depression and Anxiety
It is well-established that exercise and participation in sports helps prevent or improve health conditions ranging from high blood pressure to diabetes to arthritis, according to the Mayo Clinic. It is equally well-established that sports and exercise help you relax and make you feel better, reducing depression and anxiety symptoms. If you keep exercising when you are feeling better, it is likely to help you keep the anxiety and depression at bay. Researchers theorize that playing a sport or exercising releases endorphins that help ease depression, strengthens the immune system and increases your body temperature, which might help relax you. A study from "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise" found that even a single 30-minute period of exercise improved mood and a feeling of well-being in patients suffering from major depression.
Mood
Playing sports and exercising are likely to improve your mood in a number of respects. Such research is in the early stages, but the preliminary findings are promising. In addition, physical activity is associated with an increase in self-esteem, according to an Arizona State University study. Physical activity helps you sleep better, as well.
Cautions
Although sports and exercise generally are a good thing, excess amounts of training or poorly managed training can impact your mood in a negative way. Excessive training can cause a multitude of symptoms relating to mood, according to BodyBuilding.com. They include: general fatigue; insomnia; irritability; anxiety; lethargy; poor concentration; and depression. However, over training usually applies to endurance athletes who tend to push their bodies beyond reasonable limits. Unless you fall into this category, increasing your amount of exercise is more likely to improve your mood than harm it. Whatever your level of exercise, you need to be sure to stay hydrated when you play sports or exercise. A study at Tufts University in Boston, reported on the Physorg.com website, found that even a slight amount of dehydration created by drinking no fluids during an exercise session produced feelings of anger and depression. The researchers believe the brain cells of the dehydrated athletes actually shrink slightly, causing a chemical imbalance. Fortunately, drinking a glass of water or a sports drink every 20 minutes will chase away the blues.
Sports Fans
As any passionate Boston Red Sox or Oakland Raiders fan knows, winning or losing affects the fans as well as the players. At first, it was assumed that hard-core fans are lonely and alienated. However, a study at the University of Kansas, reported by "The New York Times," found that sports fans are less likely to be depressed or alienated by people who eschew rooting for the home team. Arizona State psychology professor Robert Cialdini says, "The self is centrally involved in the outcome of the event. Whoever you root for represents you." So even watching sports can be a healthy endeavor, although not nearly as healthy as playing them.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Depression and Anxiety: Exercise Eases Symptoms
- Medscape; Effects of Acute Exercise on Mood and Well-Being in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder; John B. Bartholomew et al.; December 2005
- BodyBuilding.com; What You Don't Know About Overtraining; Tammy Thomas; February 2004
- Physorg.com; Dehydration Affects Mood, Not Just Motor Skills; Rosalie Marion Bliss; November 2009
- Fitness.gov; The Influence of Exercise on Mental Health; Daniel Landers
- "The New York Times"; Sports Psychology; It Isn't Just a Game: Clues to Avid Rooting; James C. McKinley, Jr.; August 2000
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