Explain the Research on Exercise and Mood the Hypothesized Mechanisms
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Explain the Research on Exercise and Mood the Hypothesized Mechanisms
Medical entities recommend exercise for the general population because it is a critical tool for improving public health. Exercise promotes not only health but also helpful in preventing and treating various diseases. Therefore, a keener examination of practice should reveal specific advantages and potential disadvantages on mood, which is gaining more interest from scholars.
Pros on Mood
The first advantage of physical activity/exercise is that it improves mental health. Several psychological hypotheses have been developed to explain how practices affect mental health (Peluso & de Andrade, 2005). A critical suggestion is that exercise causes distraction, which is also essential in understanding its effects on mood (Peluso & de Andrade, 2005). It is reported in the distraction hypothesis that diverting from unfavorable stimuli improves mood at the time of exercise as well as afterward.
The second advantage is that acute exercise is a behavioral technique for the automatic mood in healthy people. Exercises alleviate and enhance positive states of atmosphere during the training and sometimes even after the workout (Peluso and de Andrade, 2005). The most considerable mood improvements occur in decreased tension, anger, confusion, and depression. Acute exercise relieves symptoms that are associated with moods such as anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia (Basso & Suzuki, 2016/2017).
The third advantage is the hypothesis of self-efficacy, which acknowledges exercise as a challenging activity. Therefore, participating in it regularly might increase mood as well as self-confidence (Peluso & de Andrade, 2005). As such, there is the hypothesis that exercise aids the release of endogenous opioids, specifically beta-endorphin (Peluso & de Andrade, 2005). The substances have inhibitory effects on the central nervous system causing improved experiences when the exercise is over.
Acute exercise changes the levels of various neurotransmitters with mood effects. For instance, in humans, acute exercise increases the levels of dopamine, epinephrine, as well as norepinephrine (Basso & Suzuki, 2016/2017).
Cons of Exercise on Mood
While there are advantages of mood improvements induced by exercise, there are also cons or disadvantages. First, mood improvements that are produced by activity have a negative correlation with the activation of dIPFC and I.F.G.
Second, physical activity reportedly causes mood disturbances. Mood improvements that are observed after a moderate level in a single session exercise are not recorded after one session of vigorous exercise. In such instances, mood can become worse than in the state before the activity. Mood disturbances have been recorded among elite athletes. Mood worsens in the initial periods of the training and improves in the second session in the run-up to the competition. Changes in climate due to physical activity are closely associated with depression than anxiety.
Third, some individuals are obsessed with physical activity, resulting in the preoccupation with exercise together with excessive training. Among some weightlifters, physical activity changes the appearance of the body image where individuals appear large and muscular, but consider themselves weak and skinny (Peluso & de Andrade, 2005). There is a correlation between muscle dysmorphia and mood problems. Besides, overtraining causes malignant mood syndrome that is characterized by irritability, depression, and apathy (Peluso & de Andrade, 2005). In sum, the hypotheses reveal that exercise both pros and cons. However, some of the findings still require further studies to validate claims.
References
Basso, J.C., & Suzuki, W.A. (2016/2017). The effects of acute exercise on mood, cognition, neurophysiology, and neurochemical pathways: A review. Brain Plasticity, 2, 127-152.
Peluso, M.A.M., & de Andrade, L.H.S.G. (2005). Physical activity and mental health: The association
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