The Benefits of Physical Activity for Physical & Mental Health

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November 18, 2018
The Benefits of Physical Activity for Physical & Mental Health
Introduction
Numerous studies have explored the benefits of physical activity to the physical and mental well-being of an individual. Literature review on the subject suggests that there is a positive relationship between physical activity, and physical and mental health. The epidemic levels of overweight and obesity prevalence in the United States can be attributed to the increase in sedentary lifestyles and consumption of unhealthy food. Based on the latest behavioral risk factor surveillance system (BRFSS) survey, adult obesity prevalence levels hit 35%, 30% and 25% in 7, 29 and 48 U.S States based on 2018 statistics. Notwithstanding this upward trend, medical research has shown that physical activity can lead to improved physical and psychosocial well-being. While increased sedentariness has been linked to overweight and obesity prevalence, empirical studies have shown a link between increased physical activity and countless health benefits such as physical and psychosocial wellbeing.
Physical activities have the potential to decrease different physical and mental health risks. Xiaoxing and Baker confirm this position in their study of the relationship between body mass index and physical activity and how the two variables correlate in the reduction of health risks was concerned. According to Xiaoxing and Baker, “The findings from a nationally representative longitudinal study are consistent with short-term trials that demonstrated the beneficial effects of regular exercises on physical fitness" (1572). Its findings affirmed the widely accepted research findings linking physical activity to improvement in overall health. While studying these four factors, the researchers employed a sample size N= 7,867 that comprised of adults aged between 51 and 61 (1567). The survey used an adjusted relative risk factor to determine a decline in physical health and new physical challenges using logistic regression technique. The study results showed that overweight and obesity were solely to blame for the deterioration in health. Still, these two were linked to a physical challenge on an adjusted AR that ranged between 1.27 to 1.45. It also established that constant physical exercises decreased the probability of suffering a health decline and the possibility of developing physical challenges regardless of what the individual was obese or overweight. The study concluded that physical activity was critical towards the maintenance of an appropriate BMI. Besides, it can significantly decrease the possibility of ruining the overall body health and possible impairment to the proper functioning of the body.
Interestingly, though, it discovered that regular physical activity has the potential of reducing diverse physical and mental health risks, even among people who cannot achieve the appropriate body weight (1567). The study findings affirmed the presence of physical activity and inactive lifestyles and further established that sitting levels significantly varied based on the two variables namely the organization and the type of occupation
Physical activity has a positive effect on the overall health and well-being of an individual. According to Jackson Cath et al., there is a positive relationship between incremental changes in physical activity and healthy living (16). The study further explored the existing health behaviors among employees with the view of determining the behaviors that promoted healthy living. It compared physical activity and inactive lifestyle behaviors within a 12-month period and was conducted across five randomly sampled UK organizations.
Furthermore, it also sought to establish health behaviors with the view of determining outcomes from self-reported investigations. The study used a self-reported research methodology where each participant based on certain time intervals reported physical activity and inactive behaviors. BMI was a key variable and was measured as a percentage of the overall body weight. Other measurement metrics were a circumference, blood pressure and the idle heart rate that was measured based on the baseline 12 months. Still, data on the well-being of the participants was collected using questionnaires. The findings affirmed the importance of physical activity in health promotion. It established that inactive lifestyles, such as sitting levels significantly varied based on the two variables, namely the organization and the type of occupation. Besides, the results indicated that increased physical activity was directly linked to improvement in the health outcomes. However, no relationship was established between inactive lifestyle and positive change in health outcomes. This confirms that physical activity is beneficial to the mental and physical wellbeing of employees. The findings suggest, “….health outcomes require high energy expenditure (i.e. increased physical activity) for improvement rather than reduced sedentariness and this warrants further investigation.” (Jackson Cath et al., 31). The findings further support the current research literature suggesting that physical activity leads to an improvement in physical and psychological well-being. The study’s implication for practice was that low activity levels have a significant impact on the overall health outcomes. The weak relationship between low physical activity and improvement in health outcomes can be addressed through well-targeted workplace interventions that focus on addressing the two behavioral variables. The outcome of the study is proof that physical activity and inactive workplace behaviors are inversely proportional.
The fact that physical activity promotes cognitive functioning and psychological wellbeing are irrefutable. Singh-Manoux et al. studied the relationship between physical activity and cognitive functioning in a population of middle-aged participants. In investigating the effect of physical activity on psychological functioning, the study employed a quantitative research approach where data was collected using occupational study design. A sample size of N=10,308 was used where participants who fell within the age bracket of 35-55 were recruited in a baseline survey. Physical activity level was classified based on levels ranging from low, medium to high and was evaluated in three research phases: 1, 3 and five between 1991 and 1994. The research data analyzed to determine if there was a change in cognitive functioning at a time when the respondents were aged between 46 and 68. The results indicate that sedentariness was a critical risk factor and a determinant for low cognitive performance. The analysis evaluated the overall impact of all physical activity levels, thus depicting a direct linear relationship between low cognitive intelligence and low levels of physical activity. This result indicates that persistently low physical activity produces poor cognitive capabilities. The study concluded that low physical activity level was a potent risk factor for cognitive dysfunction among the middle-aged.
In yet another study, Envick Brook investigated the effect of physical wellness on psychological well-being in a study that explored the implications of physical wellness on employee performance (21). The research employed empirical design and investigated the association between physical wellness and psychological well-being. However, it made interesting conclusions by suggesting that an increase in physical wellness had a positive effect on the psychological well-being of the respondents. This finding confirmed the results of other similar studies that had shown a direct association between physical wellness and staff performance. Moreover, the findings established a positive association between psychological wellness and workforce productivity.
Nonetheless, Envick Brook discovered that physical well-being was a critical predictor for psychological wellness in the study group. Briefly, the study links physical wellness to psychological wellness, thus confirming the common notion that happy workers are more productive. Still, the study found that the bottom-line for unhealthy personnel is not only harmful to individual employees but the business, industry, and the economy at large. The study also identified a wide range of physical health difficulties linked to obesity. Subsequently, it confirmed that at least 60% of all Americans could be classified as either obese or overweight. The research concluded that it is incumbent upon businesses to start supporting investment in physical wellness initiatives with the view of boosting physical wellness as it significantly improved productivity and psychological wellness of individual employees. According to the study findings, “…empirical evidence shows a positive relationship between psychological wellbeing (or happiness) and worker productivity. …The results of this study suggest that physical wellness is an importa...