Healthy living
Exercise and fitness
Housework can make you happy
Time to get out the vacuum cleaner - for the sake of your emotional health. Just 20 minutes of brisk housework a week can make you happier, say scientists writing in the British Journal of Sports Medicine
The team from University College London looked at nearly 20,000 men and women taking part in the Scottish Health Survey. They compared levels of weekly exercise with mental well-being. The team found that the more active people, who did at least one short bout of exercise per week, were less likely to be stressed or anxious. A weekly bout of a sporting activity cut the risks of the blues by a third while a 20-minute weekly burst of strenuous housework (or gardening for outdoors lovers) reduced the risk by 20 per cent.
However there is no point in just flicking the duster around the furniture - in order to reap the health benefits the activity needs to result in breathlessness and last for at least 20 minutes.
‘Mental health benefits were observed at a minimal level of at least 20 minutes each week of any physical activity, with greater risk reduction for activity at a higher intensity,’ the authors conclude.
This is not the first study to show a link between exercise and positive mental health. However it is the first to quantify the amount of activity that seems to make a difference.
As yet scientists are unclear why exercise is able to boost mood in this way. One theory is that the body releases endorphins or mood enhancing chemicals during strenuous activity. Another is that the increased body temperature from exercise decreases muscular tension. It is thought that exercise may also lead to a feeling of achievement and so increase self-confidence or provide a distraction from negative thoughts or habits.
A second study published in the same journal found that regular exercise could also reduce ‘biological ageing’ by 10 or 12 years.
Researchers at the University of Toronto in Canada, looked at 400 adults aged between 55 and 85. The team found that regular intense exercise can make the body more efficient which in turn slows down the biological clock. Results showed that someone who routinely exercised for more than a year could become as fit as a sedentary person 12 years younger.
The team suggest that people may be able to live independently for significantly longer if they exercise through middle-age and into retirement.
Useful articles
Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.
