PHYSICAL EXERCISE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING - A CRITICAL-REVIEW

The relation between physical exercise and psychological health has in creasingly come under the spotlight over recent years. While the messa ge emanating from physiological research has extolled the general adva ntages of exercise in terms of physical health, the equivalent psychol ogical literature has revealed a more complex relation. The paper outl ines the research evidence, focusing on the relation between physical exercise and depression, anxiety, stress responsivity, mood state, sel f esteem, premenstrual syndrome, and body image. Consideration is also given to the phenomena of exercise addiction and withdrawal, and impl ications for exercise prescription are discussed.