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Related Experiment Videos

Mood alterations in mindful versus aerobic exercise modes.

Yael Netz1, Ronnie Lidor

  • 1School of Physical Education, The Zinman College of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Wingate Institute, Israel. neyael@macam.ac.il

The Journal of Psychology
|November 25, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Mindful exercise like yoga and Feldenkrais, alongside swimming, improved mood after a single session. Aerobic dance and computer classes did not show similar mood-enhancing benefits.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Exercise Science
  • Mindfulness Studies

Background:

  • Previous research indicates aerobic exercise positively impacts mood.
  • Few studies have directly compared mindful exercise with aerobic exercise regarding immediate mood effects.
  • Understanding the acute effects of different exercise modalities on psychological well-being is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the effects of a single session of four different exercise modes (yoga, Feldenkrais, aerobic dance, swimming) and a control activity (computer class) on mood.
  • To investigate whether mindful, low-exertion activities offer mood benefits comparable to aerobic exercise.
  • To assess changes in state anxiety, depressive mood, and subjective well-being.

Main Methods:

  • 147 female teachers participated in one session of yoga, Feldenkrais, aerobic dance, swimming, or a computer class.

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  • Mood states (anxiety, depression, well-being) were measured before and after each activity.
  • Repeated measures analyses of variance were used to analyze the data.

    • Main Results:

    • Mood significantly improved after participating in Feldenkrais, swimming, and yoga sessions.
    • No significant mood improvements were observed after aerobic dance or the computer class.
    • Both mindful, low-exertion activities and aerobic activities demonstrated mood-enhancing potential in a single session.

    Conclusions:

    • Mindful activities like yoga and Feldenkrais, as well as swimming, can enhance mood in the short term.
    • Further research is recommended to explore the mood-boosting benefits of mindful exercise modalities.
    • The findings suggest diverse exercise types can positively influence psychological states.