Elsevier

Preventive Medicine

Volume 30, Issue 1, January 2000, Pages 17-25
Preventive Medicine

Regular Article
Physical Exercise and Psychological Well-Being: A Population Study in Finland

https://doi.org/10.1006/pmed.1999.0597Get rights and content

Abstract

Background. Regular physical exercise has been characterized as a positive health behavior having physiological benefits. It may also yield psychological benefits. The purpose of the present study was therefore to explore the association between physical exercise frequency and a number of measures of psychological well-being in a large population-based sample.

Methods. A total of 3403 participants (1856 women and 1547 men) of the Finnish cardiovascular risk factor survey, ranging in age between 25 and 64, completed questionnaires. Besides answering questions concerning their exercise habits and perceived health and fitness, the participants also completed the Beck Depression Inventory, the State–Trait Anger Scale, the Cynical Distrust Scale, and the Sense of Coherence inventory.

Results. The results of this cross-sectional study suggest that individuals who exercised at least two to three times a week experienced significantly less depression, anger, cynical distrust, and stress than those exercising less frequently or not at all. Furthermore, regular exercisers perceived their health and fitness to be better than less frequent exercisers did. Finally, those who exercised at least twice a week reported higher levels of sense of coherence and a stronger feeling of social integration than their less frequently exercising counterparts.

Conclusions. The results indicate a consistent association between enhanced psychological well-being, as measured using a variety of psychological inventories, and regular physical exercise.

References (48)

  • MH Klein et al.

    A comparative outcome study of group psychotherapy vs. exercise treatments for depression

    Int J Mental Health

    (1985)
  • J Fremont et al.

    Aerobic exercise and cognitive therapy in the treatment of dysphoric moods

    Cogn Ther Res

    (1987)
  • LA Tucker

    Mental health and physical fitness

    J Mov Stud

    (1987)
  • JA Blumenthal et al.

    Effects of exercise on the Type A (coronary prone) behavior pattern

    Psych Med

    (1980)
  • M Julius et al.

    Anger-coping types, blood pressure, and all-cause mortality: A follow-up in Tecumseh, Michigan (1971–1983)

    Am J Epidemiol

    (1986)
  • WP Morgan et al.

    Exercise and mental health

    (1987)
  • U Rajala et al.

    Prevalence of depression in a 55-year-old Finnish population

    Soc Psychiatry Psychiatric Epidemiol

    (1994)
  • RC Kessler et al.

    Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of DSM-III-R psychiatric disorders in the United States

    Arch Gen Psychiatry

    (1994)
  • E Robins et al.

    Lifetime prevalence of specific psychiatric disorders in three sites

    Arch Gen Psychiatry

    (1984)
  • Healthy people 2000. National health promotion and disease prevention objective

    (1990)
  • PE Greenberg et al.

    The economic burden of depression in 1990

    J Clin Psychiatry

    (1993)
  • RK Dishman

    Physical activity and public health: mental health

    Quest

    (1995)
  • Guidelines for exercise testing and prescription

    (1995)
  • Cited by (0)

    1

    To whom correspondence and reprint requests should be addressed. Fax: +46-8-15 93 42. E-mail: [email protected].

    View full text