Depression and Anxiety
-
Approximately 25% of adults in the United States are affected by mental illness every year.
-
Anxiety and depression are two of the more prominent mental illnesses with lifetime prevalence rates.
-
16.2% for depression​
-
13.6 to 28.8% for anxiety.
-
​
​
-
Usually, treatments for anxiety and depression are done through psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy, however, these are not always cost-effective and may cause unpleasant side effects.
​
-
Evidence demonstrates that physical activity may have fewer side effects while also being more cost effective.
-
Providing both preventative and treatment for both disorders.
-
-
Possible benefits of physical activity for Anxiety and Depression:
-
Enhancing self-esteem
-
Provides a distraction from anxiety
-
Having a feeling of control of one's self
-
Exercise increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)
-
Regulates neural circuity of mood and cognitive function.
-
-
​
-
Involvement in frequent exercise has shown to reduce symptoms of depression. Moderate-intensity exercise can boost your mood.
​
-
The benefits of exercise are not only physical but can help with mental clarity. ​
​
-
About 17% of adults in the United States will go through a depressive episode once in their lifetime.
​
-
Studies have shown that depressed individuals often are unfit and have diminished work capacity.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Craft, L. L., & Perna, F. M. (2004). The Benefits of Exercise for the Clinically Depressed. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC474733/
​
​
Blough, J., & Loprinzi, P. D. (2018). Experimentally investigating the joint effects of physical activity and sedentary behavior on depression and anxiety: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Affective Disorders, 239, 258-268. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2018.07.019
