MENTAL HEALTH


A record number of anti-depressants were issued in 2012. Is exercise a better drug?


The Feelgood Factor Sam Murphy reports on the impact of physical activity on mental health I


f you were asked to list the most compelling reasons to exercise, you’d likely come up with factors like weight loss,


improved cardiovascular fitness, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and better muscle tone. And rightly so: all of these factors are proven benefits of regular physical activity. However, with one in four people


in the UK experiencing some kind of mental health issue, and a substantive body of evidence showing a link between physical and mental health (see HCM March 11, p36), many experts


would like to see more emphasis on the value of exercise for mental wellbeing. “There’s a clear and strong association


between mental health and physical activity, including a positive effect on depression, stress, low self-esteem and even cognitive function,” says professor Stuart Biddle, an exercise psychologist at Loughborough University in the UK. Debbie Lawrence, a qualifi cation


development manager for Active IQ and author of The Complete Guide to Physical Activity and Mental Health (Bloomsbury), agrees: “Two things are clear from the research,” she says.


There’s a clear and strong association between mental health and physical activity, including a positive effect on depression, stress, low self-esteem and cognitive function


56 Read Health Club Management online at healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital


“Firstly, that people with mental health issues tend to have poorer physical health. And secondly, that exercise can help to prevent or alleviate many mental health symptoms.” Physical activity, then, could be an


important part of the jigsaw when it comes to prevention and treatment. But statistics suggest it’s still undervalued: 50 million prescriptions for anti- depressants were issued in 2012 – the highest number ever – while a report in 2013 from healthcare charity Nuffi eld Health found that GPs were 46 times more likely to prescribe medication than explore evidence-based alternatives like exercise. The charity calculated that, if we each did just 12 additional minutes of daily activity, we could save £6.3bn in costs to the NHS, welfare, and loss of earnings related to mental health issues. Dr Davina Deniszczyc, wellbeing medical director at Nuffi eld Health,


June 2014 © Cybertrek 2014


PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM


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