The Impact of Exercise on Mental Health and Well Being: A Sociological Study

Abstract

Many researchers suggest that Exercise (physical activity) has important health benefits, yet many people are disengaged with various forms of exercise. The goal of this research is to not only promote mental and physical health, but also to comprehend these relationships from a societal standpoint. Numerous hypotheses attempt to explain the connection between physical fitness and mental wellness.Physical fitness and exercise help people to develop important skills such as conflict resolution, cooperation with peers and social skills such as leadership and fine-tuning motor skills. Not only does exercising create an easy way to strike up a conversation with others, exercise like gym is a recommended setting for healthy social interactions, too. Seeing people achieve their goals can enable you to connect with them on an entirely different level. Sociology of physical activity focuses on the shared beliefs and social practices that constitute specific forms of physical activity. Regular physical activity improves the functioning of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. Depression and anxiety appear to be influenced by physical exercise. Physical activity was shown to help with sleep and improve various psychiatric disorders. Exercise in general is associated with a better mood and improved quality of life. The World Health Organization describes quality of life as a ‘broad ranging concept affected in a complex way by the person’s physical health, psychological state, level of independence, social relationships, personal beliefs and their relationship to salient features of the environment. The dearth of literature in this field is another hint that further research is needed to evaluate and implement physical activity treatments created especially for the Indian context.