Effects of a bout of exercise on mood in people with depression with and without physical pain

ABSTRACT

Physical and mental health symptoms can reduce participation in physical activity. The current study assessed the impact of a bout of exercise on mood state in depressed participants with and without current physical pain. We enrolled a community sample of 147 participants (M_age = 45.5; SD = 11.98; 87.1% female) with elevated depressive symptoms. Individuals rated their mood state, completed a 1-mile walk test on a treadmill, and rated their mood state again. Pairwise comparisons between pre- and post-exercise mood ratings were statistically significant (p < .001) and showed improved mood state. People with at least moderate pain showed greater decreases in sadness and irritability from pre- to post- exercise bout. A single bout of exercise was associated with decreased sadness, anxiety, and irritability, and increased energy in a sample of adults with depression. The changes in sadness and irritability were greatest in those who reported at least moderate physical pain.

KEYWORDS:

• Depression
• bodily pain
• aerobic exercise intervention
• mood changes

Author contributions

Drs. Lisa Uebelacker and Ana Abrantes conceptualized and designed the study. Material preparation and data collection were performed by Aubrey Legasse and Bailey O’Keeffe. Data analysis was performed by Dr. Lisa Uebelacker. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Dr. Celeste Caviness and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Ethics approval

Study approval was obtained from the Butler Hospital Institutional Review Board. The procedures used in this study adhere to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki.

Disclosure statement

Dr. Uebelacker’s spouse is employed by Abbvie Pharmaceuticals.

Additional information

Funding

This work was funded by R01HL127695. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0269184; NHLBI.