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More studies show exercise enhances wellness and improves mental health, and fights depression

San Diego is home to many “bests.” Healthcare, restaurants, schools, communities, retail centers, recreation, beaches and weather — it’s hard to deny that we are America’s Finest City. One organization San Diego certainly can proudly claim as a “best” with global headquarters right here on Paramount Drive, is the American Council on Exercise, ACE, known throughout the world as America’s Authority on Fitness.

This organization is important to anyone who wants to live well, improve his or her physical fitness and enhance his or her emotional well-being. Duh, that’d be anyone with half a brain who wants to stay healthy and live a long, productive, high-quality life! That’s where psychology and fitness come together. But first a word or two about this San Diego-based international “best.”

ACE began in 1985, and immediately set out to protect the public against “ineffective fitness products, programs and trends through its ongoing public education, outreach and research.” ACE further protects the public by setting certification and continuing education standards for fitness professionals, and has certified more than 40,000 fitness professionals in 107 countries. With its certifying programs for personal trainers, advanced health and fitness specialists, group fitness instructors and lifestyle and weight-management consultants, it would be nearly reckless to train with someone who’s not ACE-credentialed.

Much fitness research today focuses on physical and health-related benefits of exercise, and ACE certainly lays claim to much of the information that gets passed along in gyms and health clubs throughout the world. But there’s a growing body of research that clearly demonstrates that exercise, when properly done, also enhances and promotes wellness and mental health.

The Surgeon General’s report on Physical Activity and Health found that “physical activity appears to relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety and improve mood” and that “regular physical activity may reduce the risk of developing depression.” Need more support?

Duke University researchers studied people suffering from depression for four months and found that 60 percent of the participants who exercised for 30 minutes three times a week overcame their depression without using antidepressant medication. This is the same percentage rate as for those who only used medication in their treatment for depression. Hmm, pills or push-ups?

You don't have to be suffering from a clinical or diagnosed psychological disorder to get substantial mental health benefits from proper exercise and fitness. One study found that short, eight-minute workouts could help lower sadness, tension and anger along with improving resistance to disease in healthy people. Many people exercise to boost confidence as well as reduce anxiety and stress, all of which contribute to psychological health and well-being.

In gyms and health clubs across the country, where many ACE professionals train everyday people who want to improve the quality of their lives, the trend is moving away from classes focusing simply on muscle and cardiovascular training to ones that include overall wellness and whole-body maintenance. Over the past few years, more and more people have discovered the benefits of workouts that stimulate the emotions as well as the muscles.

For Americans who participate in physical activities, at least occasionally, here are the top five reasons they give for non-physique-related reasons to exercise:
• Fun/enjoyment (49 percent)
• To prevent health problems (36 percent)
• To reduce stress/tension (31 percent)
• To relax (30 percent)
• To help with current medical problems (27 percent)

Take a look at the ACE website, filled with information on health, exercise and fitness at acefitness.org.

For more than 30 years, Dr. Mantell has successfully been bringing upbeat, friendly and helpful psychological insights to individuals, families and businesses in San Diego as a clinical and corporate psychologist in private practice. He's been a regular on Good Morning America, KFMB-TV News 8, has appeared on Oprah, Larry King Live, the Today show, authored two best-selling books and speaks regularly for audiences throughout the country. He can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/michael.mantell.

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