With respect to the first area, thousands of people nationwide have difficulty with anxiety. There are many different forms of pathological anxiety that afflict a diverse population of people. Almost everyone feels some anxiety on a regular basis. Exercise can not only help "reign in" normal, everyday, non-pathological anxiety but also the forms of anxiety that are widely considered to be pathological.

People who have anxiety disorders are often treated by their doctors with various medicines to control their anxiety. There is little evidence to support or reason to try to substitute exercise for this pharmacotherapy. However, allowing exercise to play a role in the treatment of anxiety disorder is suggested in many cases.

Regular exercise seems to reduce the levels of several key neruotransmitters in the brain that are associated with feelings of anxiousness. For example, a recent study looked at a neurotransmitter in the brain called norepinephrine. Norepinephrine rises in the brain in response to a stressful or frightening situation. It was demonstrated that when compared to the "fit" group, sedentary subjects had a much more significant norepinephrine peak in response to a stressful situation.

Additionally, long term exercise seems to be associated with reductions in personal characteristics associated with anxiety and neuroticism. Although the exact relationship or mechanism behind this finding are still unclear, it is apparent that regular exercise may be very helpful in some people.

People suffering from bouts of mild to moderate depression may also benefit from routine exercise. People who are depressed and perform regular exercise seem to have a fairly significant reduction many depressive symptoms and an improvement in indices used to evaluate depression.

The caveat that must be appreciated when looking at exercise and depression is the motivation factor. It is estimated that less than 50% of all Americans adhere to a routine of regular exercise. With those starting numbers and considering that people who are depressed often do not have the energy or motivation to exercise, compliance with an exercise prescription may be quite low.

Much like the treatment for anxiety, people who choose to use exercise to elevate their mood should not forgo other treatments suggested by their physician. For those being treated for depression my a doctor, it might be a good idea to discuss the use as exercise as an adjunctive therapy.

Routine exercise tends to have the effect of improving people’s self esteem. This one is fairly intuitive. Most people enjoy the positive aesthetic benefits of exercise. In that way, people’s physical self-esteem is almost universally boosted.

In addition to the mental health benefits described above, exercise has been shown to reduce stress in many people. Many people manage their increasingly stressful lives by channeling some of their physical stress into an exercise routine. This has shown to be beneficial in many psychological and physical ways.

Regular exercise can also improve one’s mental health by helping to improve sleep and by helping to regulate the sleep cycle. One important thing to remember about exercise and sleep is that it is best to complete the exercise routine at least three to four hours before bedtime. Otherwise sleep can be negatively effected.

It should be noted that in most studies that have linked exercise and mental health issues, the exercise has been aerobic. Many professionals assume that similar benefits can come from performing anaerobic exercise but the evidence is lacking.

As always, starting a new exercise routine may effect your doctor’s treatment plan for you or have other unwanted effects. If you are currently being treated for a serious medical or psychiatric condition, consult your doctor before starting an exercise program.