L11 - Exercise & Psychological Well-Being Part 1

• Previous conceptions of PA & Health (BAD)

  • Weight watchers (plus, minus system) - not good for motivation 
  • Lifting weights to look good (not great for mental health)
  • Exercise to improve mental health - good

  
• What is Exercise Psychology? Key Definitions

  • Physical Activity 
  • Any (bodily) movement resulting in energy expenditure 
  • Exercise 
  • Movement that is planned, repetitive, structured purpose is to increase fitness

  
• What is Exercise Psychology? Key Definitions

  • Exercise fits within PA 
  • Sports fits within PA & exercise 
  • Forms of PA can include: active transport, household/domestic chores, manual labour (work)

  
• What is Exercise Psychology?

  • The application of psychology to antecedent & consequences of health related PA 
  • The psychology of getting people active (health behaviour change & motivation)
  • How influence change motivation to increase PA & health 
  • Why do some people move & others don’t 
  • What stops the inactive people from moving?
  • What makes active people stop being active?

  
• What is Exercise Psychology?

  • The effects of PA on mental health & psychological wellbeing 
  • The relationship between/ the 2
  • Think about the last time you exercised
  • How did it make you feel? 
  • Do you experience an improved mood? Increased productivity?

  
• Physical Activity Guidelines to Benefit Health

  • To accumulate 30 mins of moderate intensity aerobic PA over most days of the week (150 - 300 min/week)
  • At least 75 - 150 mins of vigorous intensity aerobic PA over the week 
  • An equivalent combination of moderate & vigorous PA throughout the week 
  • Insufficient PA → 4th leading risk factor for death/disease 

  
• Physical Activity Guidelines to Benefit Health

  • To accumulate 30 mins of moderate intensity aerobic PA over most days of the week (150-300 min/week)
  • Getting heart elevated, but not out of breath (eg brisk walk)
  • Compendium of PA & how much MET-minutes they are
  • Different ways to conceptualise PA
  • At least 75-150 mins of vigorous intensity aerobic PA over the week 
  • An equivalent combination of moderate & vigorous PA throughout the week 
  • Insufficient PA → 4th leading risk factor for death/disease 
  • So need to give people opportunities & support to be PA

  
• Physical Activity Guidelines to Benefit Health

  • Additionally on the guidelines are:
  • Strength & balance training 
  • Reduction of sedentary time 
  • Anything is better than nothing

  
• Defining Health 

  • Traditional distinction bw/ sport psychology & exercise psychology: Elite performance vs public health
  •  But this has changed somewhat 
  • Sport & exercise science 
  • Traditional emphasis on physical health 
  • Medical models = emphasis on poor or ill health 
  • WHO: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental & social well-being & not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”
• Defining Health 

  • Traditional distinction bw/ sport psychology & exercise psychology: Elite performance vs public health
  •  But this has changed somewhat 
  • Looking at improving health through PA 
  • Mental outcomes associated w/ professional sport 
  • Sport & exercise science 
  • Traditional emphasis on physical health 
  • Easier to assess, can see it 
  • Medical models = emphasis on poor or ill health 
  • Focus on neg aspects of health rather than positive 
  • Medication still focused on elevating ill health
• Definition Health: Te Whare Tapa Wha 

  • Te Taha Wairua (Spiritual)
  • eg meaning & purpose in life; cultural & personal identity 
  • Te Taha Tinana (Physical)
  • eg CV health; absence of physical illness/disease 
  • Te Taha Hinengaro (Mental & Emotional)
  • eg presence of psych well-being, absence of ill-being
  • Te Taha Whānau (Family & Social)
  • eg whānau, social support
  • Whenua (Land, Roots, Foundation)
  • eg connection to nature, taiao 
  • Basis of well-being 
  • Different ways conceptualise health 
  • Holistic approach to health 
  • Relationship bw/ different dimensions  

  
• The Mental Health Continuum

  • Treatment/Mental Illness
  • eg clinical depression or anxiety 
  • Prevention 
  • eg helping to prevent acute symptoms from becoming clinical 
  • Promotion/+ve Psych Well-Being 
  • Self-development, everyday activities (eg yoga, running)
  • To experience psych well-being through PA 
  • Tailor to individual 

  
• The Mental Health Continuum

  • Mens sana in corpore sano 
  • A healthy mind is a healthy body 
  • Connection bw/ mind & body
• PA & Mental Health - Claims

  • Increase vitality 
  • Improves sleep 
  • Alleviate ADHD symptoms 
  • Improves self-control 
  • Potential for mastery 
  • Alleviates symptoms of psychosis 
  • Elevates mood (affect)
  • Reduces depression 
  • Improves cognitive function 
  • Reduces anxiety 
  • Alleviates PTSD & trauma symptoms 
  • Improves mental wellbeing 
  • Increases sense of community 
  • Increases self-awareness 
  • Reduces stress

  
• PA & Mental Health 

  • Some claims are more robust than others…
  • Still trying to fissure this stuff out 
  • Psychology is an early science 
  • Do have some good evidence for mood/depression & anxiety
  • eg Reduce symptoms if go for a walk

  
• Mechanisms of Action 

  • In what ways do you think PA can influence mental health?
  • What aspects can it affect, & how? 
  • Think about your own experiences
• Mechanisms of Action Model

  • Talking about ways PA may influence mental health 
  • Moderators = things that influence relationship 
  • FITT principles 
  • Mechanisms: neurobiological, psychosocial & behavioural

  
• Mechanisms of Action (that PA can affect mental health)

  • Neurobiological 
  • Psychosocial
  • Behavioural 
  • These are hypotheses, yet to be fully tested. Avenues for future research!
  • Luban et al's research was specific to youth mental health - what might be different in different populations (childhood, adulthood, older adulthood)?
  • PA good platform to promote social connection (esp for elderly)

  
• Mechanisms of Action (that PA can affect mental health)

  • Neurobiological 
  • Neurotrophin gene & protein expression - BDNF, IGF-1, irisin & VEGF
  • Grey matter volume & activation - structural brain changes 
  • Endogenous opioids (pain relief, happy chemicals) eg endorphins

  
• Mechanisms of Action (that PA can affect mental health)

  • Psychosocial
  • Self-perceptions - identity as an active person, self-esteem 
  • Social connectedness (back to Te Whare Tapa Whā)
  • Mood & emotion - PA as a way of improving immediate mood, implications for affect

  
• Mechanisms of Action (that PA can affect mental health)

  • Behavioural 
  • Sleep volume & quality 
  • Self-regulation - being able to regulate own behaviour - self-mastery?

  
• Research Methods: What types of data?

  • Sport & exercise science 
  • Emphasis on objective measurements
  • Eg EC, BMI, VO2 max, waist circumference 
  • Psychology 
  • Psychometrics 
  • Harder to "look" into someone's brain
• Research Methods: What types of data?

  • Psychology 
  • Psychometrics 
  • Harder to "look" into someone's brain
  • Self-reports 
  • Likert scales (check)
  • Can be issues
  • Don't remember 
  • Social desirability bias (want to look good)
  • Qualitative research (eg interviews)
  • Understanding people's stories 
  • Some objective measurements (eg BDNF, EEG)
  • Less commonly use 
  • Need to know how to map properly for mental health
• Reflection - think about…

  • How PA might help us improve mental health?
  • How might we prove or disprove our hypotheses?