It Doesn't Matter What You do, as Long as You do

It Doesn't Matter What You do, as Long as You do

Clinical Study Key Insights by Andrea Zerbe, CSCS

05/25/2021

It has been proven time and time again that exercise is good for your mental and physical health. Exercise significantly boosts mood and self esteem while reducing depression, anxiety, anger, and pessimistic behavior all of which have been sighted in numerous scientific studies. But, with so many exercise fads saying “this is the ONLY exercise you should be doing” and “best and only way to relieve stress” it can sometimes make it hard to pick out the “right” exercise. Well, those claims just are not true! According to a study done at the State Vocational College in Legnica, Poland and the University School of Physical Education, Wroclaw, Poland in 2012, it actually doesn't matter what you do as long as you do. This study compared the boost in mood between different types of physical activity and found that there is none! Yep, scientifically it doesn't matter how you choose to exercise, just that you exercise.

This study had 84 subjects (47 female, 37male), all of who were physically active students ages 22-25. Subjects would be assigned to participate in different physical activities of different intensities and durations such as boxing, strength training, total body conditioning, dance aerobics, and step aerobics. Mood was assessed before and after physical activity using the UWIST Mood Adjective Checklist. The UWIST Mood Adjective Checklist (UMACL) is a scientific scale used to measure mood. Overwhelmingly the researchers found that the mood of subjects in all activities clearly improved after physical activity. Furthermore, and more importantly, there was no significant difference in mood improvement between the activities, intensities, or durations. They also found that there was no significant difference in mood boost after physical activity between the sexes, meaning that men and women benefited equally from physical activity. In other words, it didn't matter who they were or what they did, but that any exercise is equally beneficial for mood.

Exercise is a powerful tool that anyone can use to improve their mental and physical health. There is no “one size fits all” exercise programme. So, you can ignore all the claims made by popular exercise fads and do what you like to do, the important thing is that you're getting physical activity. Do what you love because you love it, not because the internet told you to. You're more likely to continue physical activity if you're passionate about it anyway. Get out and exercise, your body and brain will thank you for it (1).

Resources

1. Myrna-Bekas, R., Kałwa, M., Stefaniak, T., & Kulmatycki, L. (2012). Mood changes in individuals who regularly participate in various forms of physical activity. Human Movement, 13(2), 170-177. https://doi.org/10.2478/v10038-012-0019-0