Mental Health Benefits of Single Exercise Sessions

By Paul Salmon, PhD

Last month's column focused on the positive effects of exercise on mental health, summarizing a results of recent study at the Cooper Clinic, in which it was found that regular exercise provided an effective buffer against symptoms of depression. The results were not really surprising, in that a variety of studies conducted over the past 10 years or so have steadily amassed evidence that symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, and even schizophrenia may be alleviated by being physically active. Not that exercise constitutes a cure for any of these conditions by any means, but rather that a healthy lifestyle may help potentiate the effects of traditional clinical treatments, as well as more directly reduce the impact and severity of a variety of generic cognitive and physical symptoms common to many mental disorders, such as discouragement, chronic apprehension, and fatigue.

The prevailing belief, is that regular exercise is necessary to provide such health protective benefits, and in fact research studies are pretty consistent in showing that there is a ‘dose/response' effect, i.e. the more frequently or consistently that one exercises, the greater the overall benefits. (There is a point beyond which increasing one's exercise commitment brings little added health-protective investment return.)

The vast majority of research studies to date have focused on the effects of sustained physical activity, over a period of weeks, months, and even years. However, somewhat overlooked in all this research is a basic question: Granted that long-term exercise has measurable physical and psychological benefits, what do we know about the impact of just a single exercise session? Current research, it turns out, tends to support the common experience that people tend to feel better after single sessions of exercise.

An interesting study by John Bartholomew and his colleagues at the University of Texas illustrates this. Participants in the study were men and women recently diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD), in the early stages of treatment. They were randomly assigned to participate in either a single brief exercise (treadmill walking) or quiet sitting session, before and after which a variety of questionnaires were administered to assess their psychological status.

Patients in both groups experienced a measurable, statistically significant decline in depression-related symptoms, which might be interpreted as indicating that a temporary change in one's customary behavior patterns (such participating in an experiment), can have an effect on emotional states. However, those in the exercise group also reported a significant increase in feelings of emotional well-being and vigor.

These results are interesting because they illustrate how patterns of emotional distress — in this case clinically significant depression — can be temporarily affected in a positive way. The benefits of such effects, for people who are depressed or otherwise emotionally distressed, are tangible, despite being temporary in nature, and may include: 1) temporary relief from distress; 2) activation of untapped capabilities; 3) a boost in positive feelings toward oneself, such as an enhanced personal agency (i.e. being able to do something directly to affect feelings to help counteract feeling helpless or hopeless); and 4) re-connecting, even temporarily, with a state of emotional well-being unclouded by depressive symptoms.

So — while long-term exercise commitments and goals are certainly worthwhile and beneficial, it's important not to overlook the measurable value of individual sessions — those day-to-day building blocks that lie at the foundation of a healthy lifestyle. A temporary boost in positive feelings helps put more pervasive psychological distress into perspective. And feeling good when you finish working out is a powerful motivator to do it again … and again … and again.

Paul Salmon, Ph.D., M.S., is a faculty member in the Psychology Department of UofL, an ACSM-certified Health Fitness Instructor, an RYT/200-certified yoga instructor, and a member of KHFM's Advisory Board. He can be contacted at: psalmon@lousiville.edu.