ERUDITE JOURNAL OF MUSIC AND PERFORMING ARTS John T. HUGE, Ph.

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(EJMPA), VOL.3 NO.1 JANUARY 2022, UNITED STATES

EFFECTS OF EXERCISE ON MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH

John T. HUGE, Ph.D

Department of Theatre Arts
Wake Forest University,
Winston-Salem
North Carolina
United States of America

ABSTRACT
This paper was to assess the effects of exercise on mental and physical
health. Exercise is essential for improving overall health, maintaining
fitness, and helping to prevent the development of obesity, hypertension,
and cardiovascular disease. Exercise consists of cardiovascular
conditioning, strength and resistance training, and flexibility. There has
been a growing interest in developing awareness of mental and physical
health through exercise. Exercise has many effects, both curative and
preventive, on mental and physical health. The study concluded that
exercise not only improves physical fitness but also mental and physical
health. Exercise lowers the risk of a variety of ailments, including diabetes,
cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Daily exercise lowers stress and
anxiety, increases happy emotions, raises self-confidence, boosts brain
function, sharpens memory, and strengthens muscles and bones. Exercise,
on the other hand, has a short-and long-term impact on mental and
physical health. Above all, regular exercise enhances one's quality of life.
One of the recommendations made was that the government should
increase the standard of recreational centres to help individuals improve
their mental and physical health.
KEYWORDS: Exercise, Mental and Physical Health

Introduction
There has been a growing interest in developing awareness of mental and
physical health through exercise. Exercise has many effects, both curative and
preventive, on mental and physical health. Any amount of exercise, even if it falls
below the suggested amount, is likely to produce benefits. According to Vuori
(2005), the positive effect of exercise not only improves mental and physical

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health but also enhances emotional well-being. Regular physical activity is still an
important behaviour for promoting health, delaying or preventing common
musculoskeletal disorders such as mechanical low back pain, neck and shoulder
pain, and lowering the risk of developing coronary heart disease, hypertension,
diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, and colon cancer. Exercise is a subcategory of
physical activity that is planned, structured, and repetitive for the purpose of
conditioning any part of the body (Elmagd, 2016). Exercise is used to improve
health, maintain fitness, and is important as a means of physical rehabilitation.
Also, we can define exercise as any bodily movement performed in order to
develop or maintain physical fitness and overall health.
The human body is like a complex and delicate machine that comprises
several small parts. A slight malfunction of one part leads to the breakdown of the
machine. In a similar way, if such a situation arises in the human body, it will also
lead to malfunctioning of the body. Exercises can help to keep a society,
community, or nation prosperous (Gulam, 2016). Exercise is associated with many
physical and physiological benefits that help an individual feel good and function
effectively. Exercise provides an enjoyable way to spend leisure time. People of all
ages who are generally inactive can improve their health and well-being by
becoming active at a moderate intensity on a regular basis. Regular exercise
substantially reduces the risk of developing heart disease, stroke, high blood
pressure, some cancers, and diabetes and may help ease stress, anxiety, and
depression. At any age, being physically fit is an asset to your overall health.
According to Kravitz (2012), people of all ages can improve the quality of their
lives and reduce their risks of developing coronary heart disease, hypertension,
some cancers, and diabetes with continued participation in moderate exercise.
Exercise can also enhance one’s mental well-being and promote healthy
musculoskeletal function throughout life.
Concept of Exercise
Exercise is physical activity that is planned, structured, and repetitive for the
purpose of conditioning the body. Exercise consists of cardiovascular conditioning,
strength and resistance training, and flexibility (Encyclopedia of Children's Health,
2021). Exercise is essential for improving overall health, maintaining fitness, and
helping to prevent the development of obesity, hypertension, and cardiovascular
disease. Exercise is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness
and overall health and wellness (Kylasov & Gavrov, 2011). Physical exercise is
important for maintaining physical fitness and can contribute to maintaining a
healthy weight, regulating the digestive system, building and maintaining healthy

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bone density, muscle strength, and joint mobility, promoting physiological well-
being, reducing surgical risks, and strengthening the immune system. Cooper,
(2020) stated that exercise is the training of the body to improve its function and
enhance its fitness. Exercise is a component of physical activity. The
distinguishing characteristic of exercise is that it is a structured activity specifically
planned to develop and maintain physical fitness.
Exercise involves engaging in physical activity and increasing the heart rate
beyond resting levels. It is an important part of preserving physical and mental
health (Bubnis & Felman, 2019). Exercise is physical activity that is planned,
structured, and repetitive for the purpose of conditioning any part of the body.
Exercise is used to improve health, maintain fitness, and is important as a means of
physical rehabilitation (Farlex, 2018). Exercise is useful in preventing or treating
coronary heart disease, osteoporosis, weakness, diabetes, obesity, and depression.
It is often assumed that exercise involves only movement, represented by activities
such as walking, running, jumping, and swimming. Indeed, by their imprecise
titles, respected texts (Bartlett, 2007) either wittingly or unwittingly promulgate
this assumption. Exercise can also involve movement assisted by machines or
other devices, such as those found in cycling, wheelchair racing, kayaking, rowing,
skiing, and skating. Exercise is physical activity that is done in order to become
stronger and healthier. It is also a particular movement or series of movements
done to become stronger and healthier.
Concept of Mental Health
Rowling, Martin, & Walker (2002) define mental health as the capacity of
individuals and groups to interact with one another and the environment in ways
that promote subjective wellbeing, the optimal development and use of cognitive,
affective, and relational abilities, and the achievement of individual and collective
goals consistent with justice (Rowling, Martin, & Walker, 2002). Mental health is
a dynamic state of internal equilibrium that enables individuals to use their abilities
in harmony with the universal values of society. Basic cognitive and social skills;
the ability to recognize, express, and modulate one’s own emotions, as well as
empathise with others; flexibility and ability to cope with adverse life events and
function in social roles; and a harmonious relationship between body and mind
represent important components of mental health which contribute, to varying
degrees, to the state of internal equilibrium (Galderisi, Heinz, & Kastrup, 2015).
Mental health refers to cognitive, behavioral, and emotional well-being. It is all
about how people think, feel, and behave. People sometimes use the term "mental
health" to mean the absence of a mental disorder (Legg, & Felman, 2020). Mental

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health is more than the mere lack of mental disorders.

According to the World Health Organization (2004), mental health is a state of
well-being in which an individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with
the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to
make a contribution to his or her community. Mental health includes subjective
well-being, perceived self-efficacy, autonomy, competence, intergenerational
dependence, and self-actualization of one's intellectual and emotional potential,
among others. Positive psychology and holism view mental health as an
individual's ability to enjoy life and strike a balance between life activities and
efforts to achieve psychological resilience (Snyder, Lopez, & Pedrotti, 2011).
Mental health refers to our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It
affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress,
relate to others, and make choices (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services,
2019). Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and
adolescence through adulthood. Mental health is associated with a number of
lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, stress, drug abuse, social connections, and
interactions.
Concept of Physical Health
Physical health is the state of being free from illness or injury. It can include a
variety of topics, such as a healthy diet, a healthy weight, dental health, personal
hygiene, and sleep. Physical health is vital for overall well-being (NHS 2019).
Physical health refers to a person who has good health and is likely to have bodily
functions and processes working at their peak. Physical health involves pursuing a
healthy lifestyle to decrease the risk of disease. Maintaining physical fitness, for
example, can protect and develop the endurance of a person’s breathing and heart
function, muscular strength, flexibility, and body composition (Sampson &
Felman, 2020). Physical health also involves reducing the risk of an injury or
health issue, such as:
 minimizing hazards in the workplace
 using contraception when having sex
 practicing effective hygiene
 avoiding the use of tobacco, alcohol, or illegal drugs
 taking the recommended vaccines for a specific condition or country when
traveling
 Good physical health can work in tandem with mental health to improve a
person’s overall quality of life.

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Physical health refers to a person's physical activity level, diet, nutrition, sleep
cycle, and level of consumption of alcohol or drugs (Koshuta & Chapel, 2021).
Physical health is defined as an individual's body's well-being and the proper
functioning of their organism, which is a normal state for people in both physical
and mental health who are not ill (Nishat, 2020). Physical health might be more
focused on being able to live comfortably enough to do the things that you want to
do. Physical health refers to the ability to perform daily tasks and live comfortably
in one’s body. Physical health is correlated with mental health because good
physical health leads to better personal feelings in the long term.
Effects of Exercise on Mental and Physical Health
Improves Cardiovascular Health: Exercise is good for heart health. Possible
effects include improving cholesterol levels, lowering blood pressure, reducing the
risk of heart attacks and heart disease, and reducing the risk of stroke. Reducing
the risk of cardiovascular disease is an important effect of exercise. A person can
begin experiencing the effects of exercise right away, according to the CDC
(2021), who recommended that adults perform 150 minutes a week of at least
moderate-intensity activity. The effect continues to increase as people become
more active than this.
Reduces Risk of Some Cancers: The National Cancer Institute says there is
"strong evidence that higher levels of physical activity are linked to a lower risk"
of the following cancers: colon, stomach, esophageal, breast, bladder, uterine
(endometrial) and kidney. For example, a 2016 analysis of 26 breast, prostate, and
colorectal cancer studies found a 37% reduction in cancer-specific mortality when
comparing the most active patients with the least active. There may also be a link
between physical activity and a reduced risk of other cancers, but the evidence is
less clear.
Improves Mental Health and Mood: Physical activity can help reduce anxiety,
and this effect can start right after a moderate or vigorous exercise session. In the
John T. HUGE, Ph.D
long term, exercise can also help reduce the risk of depression.
Improves Bone Health: exercise can help prevent the bone density loss that
occurs with aging. Moderate or vigorous muscle-strengthening and aerobic
exercise, as well as bone-strengthening programs, can all help. Real benefits to
bone density can be obtained with as little as 90 minutes of exercise per week
(Tipane & Daniels, 2021). Weight-bearing exercises, such as walking and dancing,
and resistance exercises, are particularly good for bone health.

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(EJMPA), VOL.3 NO.1 JANUARY 2022, UNITED STATES

Conclusion
The study concluded that exercise not only improves physical fitness but also
mental and physical health. Exercise lowers the risk of a variety of ailments,
including diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Daily exercise lowers stress
and anxiety, increases happy emotions, raises self-confidence, boosts brain
function, sharpens memory, and strengthens muscles and bones. Exercise, on the
other hand, has a short-and long-term impact on mental and physical health. Above
all, regular exercise enhances one's quality of life.
Recommendations
1. The government should increase the standard of recreational centers
to help individuals improve their mental and physical health.
2. The government should create awareness on the importance and effect
of exercise on mental and physical health.
3. Humans should prioritize exercise in order to preserve physical
fitness, mental wellness, and overall health.

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