Comments
Fromnowhere2nowhere t1_iwlbbcp wrote
This wouldn’t surprise me. One way to treat depression and anxiety is to engage in behavioural activation—taking part in activities that once brought you joy or fulfillment, despite the fact that you don’t really feel like it at the moment. Doing so can bring a sense of satisfaction and self-efficacy afterwards.
If these folks believe they’ve become more physically active, perhaps they feel the self-efficacy etc. that comes along with that. Just a thought—I’ll read the article more carefully later to see what the authors might say about it in their discussion section.
WorkOnThesisInstead t1_iwlbrtl wrote
> perhaps they feel the self-efficacy
Good thought.
Agency matters.
Baud_Olofsson t1_iwlcp6j wrote
The big thing that mars basically every single "exercise helps [mental health issue]" study posted on here is that they compare an intervention group getting personal attention (in this case, a "personally tailored physical activity intervention") and taking part in an activity, any activity, with a control group getting nothing (no personalized anything, no activities whatsoever). They never include a placebo-equivalent control group.
barantana t1_iwmgqc5 wrote
"We can cure your depression!"
"I'm in!"
"You have to excercise."
"Ah bugger off I feel better already."
TAU_equals_2PI t1_iwl376k wrote
Reverse-Clickbait Title.
The title is ho-hum. Lots of studies have shown exercise helps mental health.
The actual study is far more interesting.
buckeyenut13 t1_iwljowq wrote
Right. That's what I was thinking. All exercise improves mental health. I assume they're just saying their study found web based programs ALSO improves mental health
chrisdh79 OP t1_iwkybq5 wrote
From the article: Participants of a web-based physical activity intervention saw improvements in their depression, anxiety, and stress levels, according to findings published in the journal Mental Health And Physical Activity. Interestingly, these mental health benefits seem to have occurred without notable improvements in physical activity.
Despite the overwhelming evidence that physical exercise can improve mental health, many adults do not meet current physical activity recommendations — the World Health Organization recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week. Evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic further decreased exercise levels among the public.
To encourage people to increase their movement, tech-based physical activity interventions have been developed. These interventions help support people in increasing their activity levels using online methods like smartphone apps, activity trackers, and social networks. Though these interventions are promising, it is unclear whether they offer mental health benefits.
“Web-based interventions have the potential to reach large populations cost-effectively,” explained study author Corneel Vandelanotte (@CorneelVDL), a research professor and Future Fellow at the Central Queensland University in Australia. “We know that they can improve physical activity outcomes, but much less is known on how they can positively influence mental health outcomes. The association between physical activity and improved mental health outcomes is well established, as such in theory web-based physical activity interventions should also improve mental health outcomes.”
AdSea9329 t1_iwl0cyf wrote
Sambo style Gi in MMA would be cool too. It would kind of simulate clothes in street fights.
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[deleted] t1_iwl2mon wrote
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[deleted] t1_iwlvoqx wrote
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[deleted] t1_iwpculq wrote
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WorkOnThesisInstead t1_iwl1g1j wrote
Poignant parts indicate that it ain't the exercise:
Participants of a web-based physical activity intervention saw improvements in their depression, anxiety, and stress levels ... these mental health benefits seem to have occurred without notable improvements in physical activity.
It seems that people can experience positive psychological outcomes with physical activity interventions when they believe they have become more active, even if they have not actually increased their activity.