According to a new report, it’s a good idea to go out and play in the snow to successfully deal with all the mind-boggling news, such as the rise in Covid-19 infections this winter. A large study of nearly 200,000 cross-country skiers found that physical activity halved the risk of developing clinical anxiety over time. Although the Swedish study focused on skiing, researchers have found that almost all types of aerobic exercise are from excessive anxiety and fear when we face an even tougher pandemic season. He said it is likely to help protect us.
Science already provides a lot of promising evidence that exercise can lift your mood. Experiments have shown that when people (and laboratory animals) start exercising, they are usually more calm, resilient, happy, and less likely to feel overly sad, nervous, or angry. Epidemiological studies that often focus on the association of certain types of activity or behavior with various aspects of health or longevity also significantly reduce the likelihood that more exercise will develop severe depression. I understand this. Conversely, a tendency to sit increases the risk of depression. A notable neurological study in 2013 found that exercise promotes increased production of specialized neurons that release chemicals that relieve overactivity in other parts of the brain, resulting in convulsive rodent anxiety. It turned out to lead to mitigation.
However, most of these studies are small, short-term, or primarily mouse-related, what types of exercise can help our mental health, and how long the mood can potentially last. I left a lot of questions about whether men and women would benefit equally, and whether it was possible. Exercising too much increases the likelihood of emotional deterioration.
Therefore, in a new study published at the Frontier of Psychiatry, exercise scientists at Lund University and other institutions in Sweden have determined that it is worth investigating the long-term mental health of thousands of men and women. did. I participated in the famous Sweden Vasaloppet cross-country skiing event for many years.
Vasaloppet, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this winter, is the world’s largest series of cross-country ski races, with a large number of racers lined up in the woods of central Sweden each year, making a swoosh in a 30-mile long race. , Glide and panting. Showcase distance 90K, kilometers up to about 56 miles, or almost 19 miles. Because this type of endurance event requires a wealth of health, stamina, and training, researchers previously used data on Vasaloppet racers to determine how exercise affects heart health, cancer risk, and longevity. I researched what to do.
Tomas Deierborg, Dean of the Faculty of Experimental Medicine at Lund University and lead author of the new study, who completed two 90K races, said:
First, he and his colleagues collected end times and other information on 197,685 Swedish men and women who participated in one of the races from 1989 to 2010. This information is then collated with data from the Swedish National Patient Enrollment for clinical anxiety disorders between racers in the next 10 to 20 years. For comparison, they also checked the anxiety diagnosis of 197,684 randomly selected fellow citizens who did not participate in the race and were generally considered relatively inactive during the same period. did.
The researchers found that skiers were significantly more calm than other Swedes in the decades after the race and were at more than 50% less risk of developing clinical anxiety. Interestingly, these good intentions tended to be widespread among male and female skiers of almost all ages, except for the fastest female racers. The top female finishers each year were more likely to develop anxiety disorders than other racers, but the overall risk remained lower than women of the same age in the control group.
These results indicate that “exercise is strongly associated with anxiety relief.” Another author of this study, Dr. Renableundin, Principal Investigator for Neurodegenerative Diseases at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, said.
And, beneficially, you probably won’t need to do long-distance cross-country skiing in the snow-covered forests of Sweden to earn rewards, Dr. Deierborg said. Early studies of exercise and mood suggest that following the World Health Organization’s recommended approximately 30 minutes of active walking or similar activities most often “has a positive effect on mental health.” The benefits seem to apply to the “wider population”. “Is not just Swedes.
Still, he said, it may be worthwhile to monitor your psychological response to intense training and competition, especially if you are a competitive female. The discovery that the fastest women tend to develop anxiety more often than other racers surprised researchers, he said, perhaps performance anxiety or other problems started or worsened by the race to some people. It suggests that there is a possibility.
“You don’t have to complete extreme exercise to achieve a beneficial effect on anxiety,” said Dr. Brundin.
However, there are restrictions on the survey results. They cannot prove that exercise makes people enjoy a good mood, just that very active people tend to be less anxious than their more sedentary companions. This study also does not explain how skiing reduces anxiety levels. Researchers believe that physical activity alters the levels of mood-related chemicals in the brain, such as dopamine and serotonin, reduces inflammation throughout the body and brain, and contributes physiologically to mental health. I am. While training Vasaloppet, it’s probably harmless to get out between the quiet, snow-covered pine trees and far away from the Zoom Call.
Researchers say that exercising in any environment should help deal with this winter. “A physically active lifestyle seems to have a strong effect on reducing the likelihood of developing anxiety disorders,” said Dr. Deierborg, who wants to extend these benefits to the next generation. He said he plans to join and train another Vasaloppet within a few years when his young children are old enough to join him.
