How exercise can help combat stress, anxiety and depression

An article in Lifestyle Asia gives some insight into the tricky subject of mental health. 'Tricky' inasmuch that may shy away from confronting it, therefore, making it difficult to treat, pointing out that exercise can have a positive impact on it.

A major public health issue, mental health is central to health authorities’ concerns worldwide, to the point of being viewed as the scourge of our times. In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that one person in eight has at least one mental health disorder, i.e., no less than 970 million people worldwide.

The most recent study on the subject was conducted by researchers from the University of South Australia (UniSA) who studied the impact of physical activity on mental health disorders. Published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM), their research is based on 97 records, 1,039 studies, and more than 128,000 participants, and suggests that exercise, whether it is yoga, brisk walking, fitness, or something else, is beneficial in improving symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress.