Posted on April 2, 2009 in Latest News
Exercising stimulates the pituitary gland to produce hormones known as beta-endorphins which are known to decrease depression, induce good feelings, and block pain. In a new study done by Medical College of Georgia (MCG) shows that exercising can reduce depression and improve self-esteem among children.
The researchers put about 207 overweight kids who had a sedentary lifestyle to varying degrees of exercise. They found out those who exercised the longest had most psychological benefits.
The Study By Medical College of Georgia (MCG):
For 13 weeks, about 207 overweight, sedentary kids were divided into 3 groups . Kids in the low-dose exercise group exercised for 20 minutes daily, high-dose exercise group exercised 40 minutes daily, and kids in the control group did not exercise at all
The exercise was focused on play and intensity rather than competition and skill. Kids were given two kinds of test at the beginning and at the end of the study. The first one was Reynold’s Child Depression Scale which measures depressive symptoms and the second one was Self-Perception Profile For Children, which measures kids’ self-perception.
Researchers found out that as the time spent in exercise increased, the psychological state of kids also improved. Kids who exercised more had less depressive symptoms and felt better about themselves than kids who did not. Kids experienced the psychological benefits of exercise even though they did not lose a significant amount of weight. Researchers are positive that exercising can help kids perform well in school.
This study proves that exercising can relieve depressive symptoms and improve one’s self-perception. This should encourage parents and kids to be lead an active lifestyle which can benefit them physically and mentally
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