Research conducted in the past investigating the relationship between exercise and mood has revealed that there is a “possible relationship between exercise … and mood …”(Berger and Owen, 1998, p. 611). In research conducted by Harte and Eifert (1995), test subjects generally reported feeling less anxious, depressed, angry, hostile and fatigued after their exercise session. Further research conducted by Berger and Owen obtained that different levels of exercise intensity were associated with mood benefits.
Moreover, Mack, Huddleston and Dutler (2000) reported that “being involved in light physical activity did not result in negative mood …” (p. 913). This suggested that exercise might have a positive association with mood. Overall most of the studies concluded that physical activity is associated with beneficial mood changes. Thus one may assume that there quite possibly exist a relationship between exercise and mood. Previous research conducted by Berger and Owen hypothesized that there was an optimal exercise association with mood benefits (p.613). Moreover, their results showed that the test subjects did indeed report feeling better after exercising (p.614). In an effort to further understand whether this occurrence of mood enhancement due to exercise continues to be apparent, both an experimental and a correlation design will be used to carry out research concerning exercise and mood. The experiment designed to conduct this research will investigate the beneficial mood changes associated with exercise, whereas the correlation design will focus on the relationship between exercise and mood. Thus the general hypothesis of this study is that there will generally be an increase in positive mood in relation with exercise. Experiment
This experiment will be designed to investigate if there exists a direct cause and effect relationship between exercise and mood enhancement. It is expected that exposure to daily exercise will result in an increase in positive mood. Exercise in this case will be operationally defined as physical activity which accelerates that heart by each subject participating in an exercise program consisting of 45 minutes of aerobics and a 10 minute before and after period in which the subject is allowed to warm up, cool down and stretch.
To hold extraneous variables constant such as exercises levels, and intensity of each person’s endurance, we will keep the test subjects to a strict aerobics program taught by the same instructor so each participant is receiving equal treatment. Confounding variables such as the time of day the exercise takes place and the room temperature will be attempted to be kept the same, however it will be virtually impossible to accommodate the exercises classes at the same time for everyone due to personal agendas. This class will be taught three times a week for 45 minutes for a period of six months. Mood status will be measured by participants filling out an Emotional Assessment Scale (Mack et al., 2000).
Can Exercise Help With Addiction Treatment?
In simple words, addiction treatment means a process through which a person tries to discontinue his craving for the substance or behavior he was addicted to. Addiction treatment can involve medication, counseling or just personal willpower. So the question we are targeting in this article is whether exercise can help with addiction treatment, and the answer to that would be a resounding yes. Let’s look into it more in detail.
How does exercise help with addiction treatment?
The problem which most people, under going addiction treatment, deal with is that of mood swings or mild to acute depression. The body, of an individual who is trying to recover from an addiction to substance, is trying to make adaptive changes to its physiology to compensate for the lack of the substance which it had gotten used to, like in case of a nicotine addiction. This process can be emotionally draining for that person. It’s common for many addiction patients to face spells of depression, for a few days or even weeks depending on the physical and psychological attachment to the addictive agent. Exercise can be invaluable in helping one enhance his/her mood, and feel more resilient and pepped up to cope with the addiction recovery.
Studies have shown that exercise can contribute immensely to mood improvement and reducing stress, because when you exercise your brain releases endorphins, adrenalin, dopamine and serotonin all of which are “feel good” chemicals for the body. It has also been seen the people who work out feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of it, which enhances their feeling of well-being.
People who are suffering from mild or moderate depression, during their addiction treatment period, should definitely consider joining a gym or take up some form of outdoor exercises like jogging, walking, swimming or cycling. It’s has been found that 30 minutes of rigorous workout can provide the same improvement in mood as provided by a medication, and add to it the immense benefits received by the body as a whole and you have the perfect combination to help you with your addiction recovery.
What are some exercises you can perform during addiction treatment?
There are different types of exercises one can undertake depending on personal preference and physical limitations.
Cardio and Aerobic exercises – It’s highly recommended that you take up some form of outdoor cardio exercises while you are going through addiction recovery simply because of the added value of fresh air, social presence and the sense of well-being that comes from being one with nature. Try jogging along a peaceful trail surrounded by trees, or take hike up a peaceful hillside if it’s present in your area. It’s better to jog in the evenings followed by a hot shower, and dinner to give you a sense of quietude towards the end of the day.
Sports – You can combine entertainment with exercise when you indulge in sports like badminton, tennis, soccer, basket ball or baseball. All these sports entail a rigorous workout which will leave you feeling pumped and pepped up.
Yoga – You can join a yoga class near your place, and schedule sometime in the morning for performing a few Asanas and Pranayama. Yoga is known for its tendency to manifest holistic healing in the body, and there are Asanas which specifically help in improving the blood circulation and mood improvement. Pranayama is known to provide a sense of calm and wellness by regulating the breath.
You can combine all of the exercises mentioned above for greater benefits, you can do yoga in the morning and follow it up with a sports activity preceded by some warm up exercises in the form of walking or jogging. You will notice that these exercises not only help your addiction treatment but go a long way in enhancing your body’s ability to readjust its physiology.
###
Outofstress.com