Studies often indicate physical activity as an effective method to enhance mental well-being, yet a recent investigation from the University of Georgia implies that it’s not solely physical exertion that influences mental health.

It’s the manner, location, and motivation behind your exercise that create the impact.

“Traditionally, research on physical activity has centered on the duration of exercise or the calories expended,” remarked Patrick O’Connor, co-author of the study and a professor in the Mary Frances Early College of Education’s Department of Kinesiology. “The ‘dose’ of exercise has been the primary focus for researchers attempting to comprehend how physical activity could impact mental health, often overlooking whether those minutes were spent exercising with a companion or as part of a team sport.”

While evidence indicates that leisure-time physical activities—such as jogging, participating in a yoga class, or biking for enjoyment—are associated with improved mental health outcomes, these advantages may differ greatly based on the surrounding environment and situations involved, according to the researchers.

To delve into these aspects, the researchers examined three categories of studies. These encompassed extensive epidemiological investigations that scrutinized health trends within populations, randomized controlled trials in which some groups were given exercise interventions while others were not, and a smaller yet increasingly substantial set of studies focused on contextual elements.

Exercise and mental well-being

Multiple investigations have shown that individuals who participate in regular leisure-time physical activity typically report reduced levels of depression and anxiety. However, the situation is less clear for other types of activities, like tidying up the house or working for a landscaping company. The environment may be as significant as the intensity or volume of the physical activity.

“For instance, if a soccer player runs down the field and scores the game-winning goal, their mental health is excellent,” O’Connor observed. “Conversely, if you execute the same action but miss the target and are criticized by others, your feelings are likely very different. Anecdotes like these illustrate how context plays a crucial role even when individuals undergo a similar exercise dose.”

“Larger and longer-term controlled studies are essential to provide convincing evidence on whether exercise genuinely affects mental health.” —Patrick O’Connor, College of Education

Numerous randomized controlled trials have also indicated that establishing regular exercise patterns improves mental well-being, particularly for those with existing mental health conditions. Nevertheless, these studies often relied on small, short-term, and homogeneous samples, making the results less applicable to larger, more varied populations.

“The average impact on mental health is minimal across all randomized controlled exercise studies, partly because the majority involved individuals who were neither depressed nor anxious — larger effects are noted in those studies,” O’Connor added. “We’re conveying to researchers that more extensive and prolonged controlled studies are required to convincingly demonstrate whether exercise does or does not genuinely influence mental health.”

Why context is crucial

Where the evidence is weakest — yet potentially most crucial — is in comprehending contextual factors. The identical physical activity can be perceived very differently based on who is participating, as well as when, where, and how it occurs.

Context may encompass peer interactions and instructor attitudes, along with external factors such as weather or time of day. “If you’re outdoors and it’s warm, and you have to walk to work, that contributes to the context,” he continued. “Or if you join a group fitness class — some instructors resonate with you, while others do not. That aspect is also part of the context.

“If our goal is to enhance people’s mental health through exercise, we must not only consider the dose and type but also ask: What is the context?” said O’Connor.

For O’Connor, the conclusion is straightforward. It’s not merely movement that is significant. It’s the meaning, environment, and experience accompanying the activity that ultimately influences the effect of exercise on mental health.

Co-authors of the study include Eduardo Bustamante from the University of Illinois Chicago; Angelique Brellenthin from Iowa State University; and David Brown, who has recently retired from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The article Does exercise really improve mental health? first appeared on UGA Today.