Physical Activity And Behavioral Medicine

What type, amount, and intensity of physical activity is good for your health? How much exercise is too much? Can avoiding physical activity make you ill or lead to premature death? This crisply written and thought-provoking book examines such issues to give readers the first integrated and consolidated introduction to what is known about the impact of physical activity on health. By selectively highlighting some of the best and most important research in physical activity, the authors synthesize studies and theory from several disciplines. They use a behavioral-epidemiology framework to organize the book and explore such topics as: physical activity and the health of children, adolescents, and the elderly; physical activity and its impact on mental health; the role of physical activity in prevention of particular diseases; health risks of physical activity; and how much physical activity is enough and how to measure it; how to promote physical activity and community-based physical activity interventions. Throughout the book, the authors offer studies of diverse populations, including different ethnic backgrounds and nationalities, and different gender groups, and different socioeconomic levels. Although the health benefits of physical activity are fairly well-known, this book furthers our understanding of how to help people become active enough to enjoy these benefits.

Adopting a behavioural epidemiology framework, the authors offer an examination of what is known about physical health and activity.

This text is an effort to summarize and synthesize the existing research dealing with the influence of physical activity on mental health, as well as the potential mechanisms underlying psychological effects. Contributions from some of the leading experts in the field deal with mental health through prevention, exercise prescription, exercise adherence, drug therapy and exercise, the influence of physical activity on depression, anxiety, and self-esteem, and the paradoxical effects of excessive amounts of exercise.

Published in the year 1987, Exercise and Mental Health is a valuable contribution to the field of Counseling and School Pscyhology.

Based on the latest scientific research findings, ACSM’s Behavioral Aspects of Physical Activity and Exercise lays the theoretical foundation of behavior change and then provides specific strategies, tools, and methods to motivate and inspire clients to be active, exercise, and stay healthy. Developed by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and written by a team of leading experts in exercise science and motivation, this highly practical book provides step-by-step instructions to help fitness/health professionals and students master motivation techniques that have proven successful in helping clients adhere to an exercise program.

Physical inactivity is a key determinant of health across the lifespan. A lack of activity increases the risk of heart disease, colon and breast cancer, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, osteoporosis, anxiety and depression and others diseases. Emerging literature has suggested that in terms of mortality, the global population health burden of physical inactivity approaches that of cigarette smoking. The prevalence and substantial disease risk associated with physical inactivity has been described as a pandemic. The prevalence, health impact, and evidence of changeability all have resulted in calls for action to increase physical activity across the lifespan. In response to the need to find ways to make physical activity a health priority for youth, the Institute of Medicine's Committee on Physical Activity and Physical Education in the School Environment was formed. Its purpose was to review the current status of physical activity and physical education in the school environment, including before, during, and after school, and examine the influences of physical activity and physical education on the short and long term physical, cognitive and brain, and psychosocial health and development of children and adolescents. Educating the Student Body makes recommendations about approaches for strengthening and improving programs and policies for physical activity and physical education in the school environment. This report lays out a set of guiding principles to guide its work on these tasks. These included: recognizing the benefits of instilling life-long physical activity habits in children; the value of using systems thinking in improving physical activity and physical education in the school environment; the recognition of current disparities in opportunities and the need to achieve equity in physical activity and physical education; the importance of considering all types of school environments; the need to take into consideration the diversity of students as recommendations are developed. This report will be of interest to local and national policymakers, school officials, teachers, and the education community, researchers, professional organizations, and parents interested in physical activity, physical education, and health for school-aged children and adolescents.

The positive benefits of physical activity for physical and mental health are now widely acknowledged, yet levels of physical inactivity continue to be a major concern throughout the world. Understanding the psychology of physical activity has therefore become an important issue for scientists, health professionals and policy-makers alike as they address the challenge of behaviour change. Psychology of Physical Activity provides comprehensive and in-depth coverage of the fundamentals of exercise psychology, from mental health, to theories of motivation and adherence, and to the design of successful interventions for increasing participation. Now publishing in a fully revised, updated and expanded fourth edition, Psychology of Physical Activity is still the only textbook to offer a full survey of the evidence base for theory and practice in exercise psychology, and the only textbook that explains how to interpret the quality of the research evidence. As the field continues to grow rapidly, the new edition expands the behavioural science content of numerous important topics, including physical activity and cognitive functioning, automatic and affective frameworks for understanding physical activity involvement, new interventions designed to increase physical activity (including use of new technologies), and sedentary behaviour. A full companion website offers useful features to help students and lecturers get the most out of the book during their course, including multiple-choice revision questions, PowerPoint slides and a test bank of additional learning activities. Psychology of Physical Activity is the most authoritative, engaging and up-to-date book on exercise psychology currently available. It is essential reading for all students working in behavioural medicine, as well as the exercise and health sciences.

A growing body of evidence shows that physical activity can be a cost-effective and safe intervention for the prevention and treatment of a wide range of mental health problems. As researchers and clinicians around the world look for evidence-supported alternatives and complements to established forms of therapy (medication and psychotherapy), interest in physical activity mounts. The Routledge Handbook of Physical Activity and Mental Health offers the most comprehensive review of the research evidence on the effects of physical activity on multiple facets of mental health. Written by a team of world-leading international experts, the book covers ten thematic areas: physical activity and the ‘feel good’ effect anxiety disorders depression and mood disorders self-perceptions and self-evaluations cognitive function across the lifespan psychosocial stress pain energy and fatigue addictions quality of life in special populations. This volume presents a balanced assessment of the research evidence, highlights important directions for future work, and draws clear links between theory, research, and clinical practice. As the most complete and authoritative resource on the topic of physical activity and mental health, this is essential reading for researchers, students and practitioners in a wide range of fields, including clinical and health psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience, behavioural and preventive medicine, gerontology, nursing, public health and primary care.