Being physical active is essential for thriving in life and for maintaining a holistic sense of well-being. People with low levels of physical movement tend to have more physical and mental health problems. In fact, movement is so important it is now being considered as a fundamental human drive (Stults-Kolehmainen, 2023). A drive is a state of motivation and arousal and now body movement is now categorized as a biological necessity just like food, water, and sleep and, it now appears, mood regulation.
A recent meta-analysis of research on Eastern body movement and breathing practices along with standard Western exercise techniques and found these practices substantially improve depressed mood (Sun et al., 2023). Types of body-mind exercises were: yoga, tai chi, qigong, and nei gong exercise. (Nei gong is an internally-focused martial art aimed that coordinates the mind with the breath.) Western physical exercises included aerobic exercise and combinations of aerobic, strength, flexibility, and stretching.
Physiological measurements taken included neuroendocrine production, inflammation levels, metabolic products, autonomic nervous system activities, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functions. The main findings were that Eastern exercise decreases pro-inflammatory cytokines while Western methods improve cardiorespiratory capacity (Sun et al., 2023).
Closing Thoughts
This study has many merits. Its design systematically refines the sum total of existing data regarding body movement/breath exercise—Eastern and Western—down to its essential effects on the body’s neurophysiology. It provides strong evidence that movement/breath exercise can help improve depression. That in itself is worth the price of admission. Plus, it gives a bird’s-eye view of the body-mind exercise research field. Finally, this study provides an in-depth view of the probable neurobiological mechanisms of mind-body exercise and physical exercise and these, in turn, may be developed as treatment techniques for depression. In fact, this appears to be the only study, thus far, to decisively correlate exercise with the neurobiological processes which have anti-depressant effects.
Paul Shane, Ph.D., LMT
Director, Academic Content
References
Stults-Kolehmainen, M. (2023). Humans have a basic physical and psychological need to move the body: Physical activity as a primary drive. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1134049,doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1134049.
Sun, W., Lu, E., Wang, C., & Tsang, H. (2023). Neurobiological mechanisms for the antidepressant effects of mind-body and physical exercises: A systematic review. Mental Health and Physical Activity 25, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhpa.2023.100538.
Revised 01-05-26.