Meta-analysisWikiHigh evidence score
Sedentary behavior and physical activity levels in people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder: a global systematic review and meta‐analysis
Davy Vancampfort, Joseph Firth, Felipe Barreto Schuch +9 more · World Psychiatry · 2017 · 933 citations
People with severe mental illness (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depressive disorder) spend significantly more time being sedentary and less time being physically active than healthy individuals, highlighting a critical area for self-experimentation to improve overall health.
Read the breakdown →RCTWikiHigh evidence score
Randomized controlled trial of yoga and exercise in multiple sclerosis
B. S. Oken, Shirley S. Kishiyama, Daniel P. Zajdel +7 more · Neurology · 2004 · 589 citations
This study found that both a 6-month program of Iyengar yoga and a 6-month program of stationary bicycle exercise significantly reduced fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis compared to a control group, suggesting these interventions are worth testing for fatigue management.
Read the breakdown →Meta-analysisWikiHigh evidence score
Physical activity and mental health: evidence is growing
Stuart Biddle · World Psychiatry · 2016 · 239 citations
Engaging in physical activity, from reducing sedentary time to moderate-to-vigorous exercise, is consistently linked to improved mood, self-esteem, cognitive function, and reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety, with some evidence suggesting a causal relationship, making it a valuable target for personal experiments to enhance mental well-being.
Read the breakdown →ObservationalTop journalModerate
Association between physical exercise and mental health in 1·2 million individuals in the USA between 2011 and 2015: a cross-sectional study
Sammi R. Chekroud, Ralitza Gueorguieva, Amanda B. Zheutlin +4 more · The Lancet Psychiatry · 2018 · 1,142 citations
Systematic ReviewWikiHigh evidence score
Effects of combining physical activity with mindfulness on mental health and wellbeing: Systematic review of complex interventions
Masha Remskar, Max J. Western, Emma L. Osborne +2 more · Mental health and physical activity · 2023 · 42 citations
This systematic review found that combining physical activity with mindfulness is effective for improving mental health and wellbeing, and might be more beneficial than either practice alone for someone looking to enhance their psychological state.
Read the breakdown →RCTWikiHigh evidence score
Cognitive and behavioural effects of music-based exercises in patients with dementia
Ann Van de Winckel, Hilde Feys, Willy De Weerdt +1 more · Clinical Rehabilitation · 2004 · 258 citations
A three-month daily music-based exercise program significantly improved cognitive function, particularly general cognition and verbal fluency, in women with dementia, suggesting a potential strategy for maintaining or improving mental sharpness.
Read the breakdown →Meta-analysisTop journalWikiHigh evidence score
Physical activity and exercise interventions for disease-related physical and mental health during and following treatment in people with non-advanced colorectal cancer
Maresa McGettigan, Chris R. Cardwell, Marie M. Cantwell +1 more · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · 2017 · 42 citations
This document is a *protocol* outlining the plan for a comprehensive Cochrane systematic review, detailing how researchers will search for, evaluate, and synthesize existing studies on physical activity and exercise interventions for people with non-advanced colorectal cancer; *this protocol does not contain any findings or results*, but rather sets the stage for a future review that will assess the effectiveness and safety of
Read the breakdown →Meta-analysisWikiHigh evidence score
The effects of interventions with physical activity components on adolescent mental health: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Ruth D. Neill, Katrina Lloyd, Paul Best +1 more · Mental health and physical activity · 2020 · 27 citations
A rigorous meta-analysis of 13 RCTs found that physical activity interventions produced no statistically significant improvement in anxiety or depression in adolescents aged 10–19, meaning the evidence is currently too weak and inconsistent to confidently prescribe a specific exercise dose for adolescent mental health.
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Read the breakdown →StudyModerate
Physical activity and mental health in children and adolescents: An updated review of reviews and an analysis of causality
Stuart Biddle, Simone Ciaccioni, George Thomas +1 more · Psychology of sport and exercise · 2018 · 1,283 citations
RCTWikiHigh evidence score
‘Walk this way’: results from a pilot randomised controlled trial of a health coaching intervention to reduce sedentary behaviour and increase physical activity in people with serious mental illness
Julie Williams, Brendon Stubbs, Sol Richardson +7 more · BMC Psychiatry · 2019 · 40 citations
A 17-week health coaching program, including education, pedometers, and regular coaching, helped people with serious mental illness reduce daily sedentary time by 56 minutes and increase physical activity by 32 minutes, with these changes lasting for at least 6 months, suggesting that a structured, supportive approach can effectively shift activity levels even in challenging circumstances.
Read the breakdown →ObservationalWikiModerate
Vigorous Physical Activity, Mental Health, Perceived Stress, and Socializing among College Students
Nicole A. VanKim, Toben F. Nelson · American Journal of Health Promotion · 2013 · 424 citations
College students who did vigorous physical activity at least 3 days per week were about 21% less likely to report poor mental health and 25% less likely to report high perceived stress, and about half of that benefit appeared to come from the social interactions surrounding exercise rather than the exercise itself.
Read the breakdown →StudyModerate
Physical activity in European adolescents and associations with anxiety, depression and well-being
Elaine McMahon, Paul Corcoran, Grace O’Regan +25 more · European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry · 2016 · 630 citations
RCTWikiHigh evidence score
Stimulant Reduction Intervention using Dosed Exercise (STRIDE) - CTN 0037: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Madhukar H. Trivedi, Tracy L. Greer, Bruce D. Grannemann +16 more · Trials · 2011 · 48 citations
This study protocol outlines a large-scale randomized controlled trial designed to investigate whether vigorous exercise can help reduce stimulant abuse and dependence in individuals undergoing residential treatment, compared to a health education program.
Read the breakdown →StudyModerate
The mental and physical health outcomes of green exercise
Jules Pretty, Jo Peacock, Martin H. Sellens +1 more · International Journal of Environmental Health Research · 2005 · 1,096 citations
Both physical activity and exposure to nature are known separately to have positive effects on physical and mental health. We have investigated whether there is a synergistic benefit in adopting physical activities whilst being directly exposed to nature ('green exercise'). Five groups of 20 subjects were exposed to a sequence of 30 scenes projected on a wall whilst exercising on a treadmill. Four categories of scenes were tested: rural pleasant, rural unpleasant, urban pleasant and urban unpleasant. The control was running without exposure to images. Blood pressure and two psychological measures (self-esteem and mood) were measured before and after the intervention. There was a clear effect of both exercise and different scenes on blood pressure, self-esteem and mood. Exercise alone significantly reduced blood pressure, increased self-esteem, and had a positive significant effect on 4 of 6 mood measures. Both rural and urban pleasant scenes produced a significantly greater positive effect on self-esteem than the exercise-only control. This shows the synergistic effect of green exercise in both rural and urban environments. By contrast, both rural and urban unpleasant scenes reduced the positive effects of exercise on self-esteem. The rural unpleasant scenes had the most dramatic effect, depressing the beneficial effects of exercise on three different measures of mood. It appears that threats to the countryside depicted in rural unpleasant scenes have a greater negative effect on mood than already urban unpleasant scenes. We conclude that green exercise has important public and environmental health consequences.
RCTTop journalWikiHigh evidence score
A Single 30 Minutes Bout of Combination Physical Exercises Improved Inhibition and Vigor-Mood in Middle-Aged and Older Females: Evidence From a Randomized Controlled Trial
Rui Nouchi, Haruka Nouchi, Ryuta Kawashima · Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience · 2020 · 29 citations
A single 30-minute session of combined aerobic, strength, and stretching exercises was found to immediately improve mental focus (inhibition) and feelings of energy and vigor in middle-aged and older women, suggesting that even a short, varied exercise session can provide a quick mental and mood boost worth testing in your own routine.
Read the breakdown →RCTHigh evidence score
Exercise interveNtion outdoor proJect in the cOmmunitY - results from the ENJOY program for independence in dementia: a feasibility pilot randomised controlled trial.
Levinger P, Goh AMY, Dunn J +6 more · BMC Geriatr · 2023 · 19 citations
RCTWikiHigh evidence score
Effects of school-based physical activity interventions on mental health in adolescents: The School in Motion cluster randomized controlled trial
Andreas Åvitsland, Éva Leibinger, Geir Kåre Resaland +3 more · Mental health and physical activity · 2020 · 18 citations
Two school-based physical activity programs did not improve mental health for all adolescents, but one program showed beneficial effects for those with higher baseline psychological difficulties and both programs showed promise for immigrant adolescents, suggesting targeted physical activity might help specific groups.
Read the breakdown →Meta-analysisWikiHigh evidence score
[Regular physical activity and mental health. The role of exercise in the prevention of, and intervention in depressive disorders].
Johanna Takács · PubMed · 2014 · 13 citations
This meta-analysis found that regular exercise is a powerful and effective intervention for both preventing and treating depression, with effects appearing within 4-8 weeks, making it a promising self-experiment for mood improvement.
Read the breakdown →StudyModerate
Effect of a randomized, controlled trial of exercise on mood and physical function in individuals with fibromyalgia
S. E. Gowans, A. deHueck, Sarah Voss +3 more · Arthritis & Rheumatism · 2001 · 249 citations
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of exercise on mood and physical function in individuals with fibromyalgia. METHODS: Subjects were randomly assigned to an exercise (EX) or control (CTL) group. EX subjects participated in 3 30-minute exercise classes per week for 23 weeks. Subjects were tested at entry and at 6, 12, and 23 weeks. Tests included the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), 6-minute walk, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Mental Health Inventory (MHI), Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale (ASES), and a measure of tender points and knee strength. RESULTS: Fifty subjects (27 EX, 23 CTL) completed the study, and 31 (15 EX, 16 CTL) met criteria for efficacy analyses. In efficacy analyses, significant improvements were seen for EX subjects in 6-minute walk distances, BDI (total, cognitive/ affective), STAI, FIQ, ASES, and MHI (3 of 5 subscales) scores. These effects were reduced but remained during intent-to-treat analyses. CONCLUSION: Exercise can improve the mood and physical function of individuals with fibromyalgia.
StudyModerate
Long-term Effects of Exercise on Psychological Functioning in Older Men and Women
James A. Blumenthal, Charles F. Emery, David J. Madden +7 more · Journal of Gerontology · 1991 · 240 citations
The purpose of this study was to determine the psychological, behavioral, and cognitive changes associated with up to 14 months of aerobic exercise training. For the first 4 months of the study, 101 older (greater than 60 years) men and women were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: Aerobic exercise, Yoga, or a Waiting List control group. Before and following the intervention, all subjects completed a comprehensive assessment battery, including measures of mood and cognitive functioning. A semi-crossover design was employed such that, following completion of the second assessment, all subjects completed 4 months of aerobic exercise and underwent a third assessment. Subjects were given the option of participating in 6 additional months of supervised aerobic exercise (14 months total), and all subjects, regardless of their exercise status, completed a fourth assessment. Results indicated that subjects experienced a 10-15% improvement in aerobic capacity. In general, there were relatively few improvements in cognitive performance associated with aerobic exercise, although subjects who maintained their exercise participation for 14 months experienced improvements in some psychiatric symptoms. However, the healthy subjects in this study were functioning at a relatively high level to begin with, and exercise training may produce greater improvements among elderly with concomitant physical or emotional impairments.
StudyModerate
Moderate treadmill exercise rescues anxiety and depression-like behavior as well as memory impairment in a rat model of posttraumatic stress disorder
Gaurav Patki, Lumeng Li, Farida Allam +4 more · Physiology & Behavior · 2014 · 153 citations
ObservationalTop journalModerate
Examining the Effect of Increased Aerobic Exercise in Moderately Fit Adults on Psychological State and Cognitive Function
Julia C. Basso, Douglas J. Oberlin, Medha K. Satyal +5 more · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience · 2022 · 31 citations
Regular physical exercise can decrease the risk for obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, increase life expectancy, and promote psychological health and neurocognitive functioning. Cross-sectional studies show that cardiorespiratory fitness level (VO 2 max) is associated with enhanced brain health, including improved mood state and heightened cognitive performance. Interventional studies are consistent with these cross-sectional studies, but most have focused on low-fit populations. Few such studies have asked if increasing levels of physical activity in moderately fit people can significantly enhance mood, motivation, and cognition. Therefore, the current study investigated the effects of increasing aerobic exercise in moderately fit individuals on psychological state and cognitive performance. We randomly assigned moderately fit healthy adults, 25–59 years of age, who were engaged in one or two aerobic exercise sessions per week to either maintain their exercise regimen ( n = 41) or increase their exercise regimen (i.e., 4–7 aerobic workouts per week; n = 39) for a duration of 3 months. Both before and after the intervention, we assessed aerobic capacity using a modified cardiorespiratory fitness test, and hippocampal functioning via various neuropsychological assessments including a spatial navigation task and the Mnemonic Similarity Task as well as self-reported measures including the Positive and Negative Affect Scale, Beck Anxiety Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale, Rumination Scale, Eating Disorders Examination, Eating Attitudes Test, Body Attitudes Test, and Behavioral Regulation of Exercise Questionnaire. Consistent with our initial working hypotheses, we found that increasing exercise significantly decreased measures of negative affect, including fear, sadness, guilt, and hostility, as well as improved body image. Further, we found that the total number of workouts was significantly associated with improved spatial navigation abilities and body image as well as reduced anxiety, general negative affect, fear, sadness, hostility, rumination, and disordered eating. In addition, increases in fitness levels were significantly associated with improved episodic memory and exercise motivation as well as decreased stress and disordered eating. Our findings are some of the first to indicate that in middle-aged moderately-fit adults, continuing to increase exercise levels in an already ongoing fitness regimen is associated with additional benefits for both psychological and cognitive health.
BookHigh evidence score
The science of running
Steve Magness · Origin Press · 2014
Meta-analysisHigh evidence score
Personalized Interactive Music Systems for Physical Activity and Exercise: Exploratory Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Danso A, Kekäläinen T, Koehler F +20 more · JMIR Hum Factors · 2025 · 5 citations
Meta-analysisHigh evidence score
Effects of urban green exercise on mental health: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Hu G, Luo Q, Zhang P +2 more · Front Public Health · 2025 · 11 citations
StudyLeading journalModerate
Exercise Training Improves Selected Aspects of Daytime Functioning in Adults with Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Christopher E. Kline, Gary B. Ewing, James B. Burch +4 more · Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine · 2012 · 76 citations
StudyModerate
Internet-delivered physical activity intervention for college students with mental health disorders: A randomized pilot trial
Emily L. Mailey, Thomas R. Wójcicki, Robert W. Motl +4 more · Psychology Health & Medicine · 2010 · 111 citations
The prevalence of mental health disorders among college students is rising and the increasing rates of anxiety and depression have important societal implications. Physical activity has been proposed as an adjuvant to traditional treatment approaches (i.e. psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy), and the internet is a potentially useful means of delivering physical activity information to the college-aged population. This randomized pilot trial examined the effects of an internet-based physical activity intervention on physical activity, self-efficacy, depression, and anxiety in college students (n = 47) receiving mental health counseling. Physical activity, depression, anxiety, exercise self-efficacy, and barriers self-efficacy were assessed at baseline and post-intervention. There was a significant time effect for physical activity, with both groups increasing their physical activity levels across the 10-week intervention but with a larger increase in the intervention condition (d = 0.68) than the control condition (d = 0.05). Exercise and barriers self-efficacy declined across the intervention, but more so in the control than intervention condition. Effects on depression and anxiety were nonsignificant. Finally, correlation analyses showed increases in physical activity were associated with increases in exercise self-efficacy (r = 0.62) and barriers self-efficacy (r = 0.63) and decreases in depression (r = -0.44) in the intervention condition, but not in the control condition. These results suggest that an internet-delivered physical activity intervention may be a promising approach to promoting physical activity among college students undergoing mental health counseling.
Meta-analysisLeading journalHigh evidence score
The effects of co-designed physical activity interventions in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Zacharuk A, Ferguson A, Komar C +6 more · PLoS One · 2024 · 8 citations
StudyModerate
Acute Effects of Exercise on Neuropsychological Function in Elderly Subjects
D. William Molloy, D. A. Beerschoten, Michael Borrie +2 more · Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · 1988 · 99 citations
Fit elderly score higher on tests of fluid intelligence than aged-matched sedentary controls. Elderly patients who have taken part in exercise programs have shown improvement in mental function. We compared the effects of 45 minutes of exercise on memory, mood, and cognitive function in elderly subjects to a control intervention using a randomized control study design. Neuropsychological tests employed where the color slide test, digit symbol test, digit span test, logical memory test, word fluency test, and the Mini-Mental State Examination. We measured mood using a mood test and geriatric depression scale. Each subject was tested before, and immediately after, control and exercise sessions. Fifteen elderly subjects [ten men and five women; mean age, 66 years, (range, 60 to 85 years)] completed the study. There was a greater improvement in six of the eight scores of cognitive function following exercise, compared to control. These differences were significantly greater following exercise for the logical memory test score (P less than or equal to 0.02) and Mini-Mental State Examination (P less than or equal to 0.025) compared with the control intervention.
Meta-analysisWikiHigh evidence score
Effects of reducing sedentary behaviour by increasing physical activity, on cognitive function, brain function and structure across the lifespan: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Feter N, Ligeza TS, Bashir N +28 more · Br J Sports Med · 2024 · 30 citations
Interrupting prolonged sitting with multiple short bouts of physical activity acutely improves cognitive function, suggesting that even brief activity breaks can offer immediate mental benefits for self-experimenters.
Read the breakdown →Meta-analysisWikiHigh evidence score
Effects of exercise on cognitive function in older patients with Alzheimer's disease: a meta-regression and meta-analysis.
Xu F, Zhang Y, Tan D +3 more · Front Public Health · 2026 · 0 citations
This meta-analysis found that exercise significantly improved global cognitive function in older adults with Alzheimer's disease, with benefits notably enhanced by exercising more than five times per week and sustained for at least 12 weeks.
Read the breakdown →Meta-analysisWikiHigh evidence score
Effectiveness of exercise interventions to improve long-term outcomes in people living with mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Dieckelmann M, González-González AI, Banzer W +7 more · Sci Rep · 2023 · 19 citations
This meta-analysis synthesized evidence on exercise for mild cognitive impairment (MCI), suggesting that structured exercise programs, particularly those combining aerobic and strength training, may offer small but meaningful long-term benefits for cognitive function and daily living in people with MCI, providing a strong rationale for self-experimentation with consistent exercise.
Read the breakdown →Meta-analysisHigh evidence score
Domain-specific physical activity and mental health: an updated systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis in a combined sample of 3.3 million people.
Teychenne M, Sousa GM, Baker T +18 more · Br J Sports Med · 2026 · 22 citations
Meta-analysisHigh evidence score
Could physical activity promote indicators of physical and psychological health among children and adolescents? An umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials.
Cai S, Wang H, Zhang YH +19 more · World J Pediatr · 2025 · 6 citations
Meta-analysisWikiHigh evidence score
Are Physical Activity Interventions Effective in Improving Health-Related Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Bermejo-Cantarero A, Sánchez-López M, Álvarez-Bueno C +3 more · Sports Health · 2024 · 27 citations
This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesize existing research on whether physical activity interventions improve health-related quality of life in children and adolescents, but the specific findings regarding effect sizes and practical implications are not available from the provided text.
Read the breakdown →Meta-analysisWikiHigh evidence score
The Effectiveness of Dance Interventions on Psychological and Cognitive Health Outcomes Compared with Other Forms of Physical Activity: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis.
Fong Yan A, Nicholson LL, Ward RE +6 more · Sports Med · 2024 · 89 citations
This meta-analysis likely found that dance interventions are an effective and enjoyable way to improve psychological well-being and cognitive function, often performing as well as or better than other forms of physical activity, making them a promising avenue for personal experiments aimed at boosting mental and brain health.
Read the breakdown →Meta-analysisLeading journalWikiHigh evidence score
Chronic exercise effects on overall depression severity and distinct depressive symptoms in older adults: A protocol of a systematic and meta-analytic review.
Mack M, Badache A, Erden A +10 more · PLoS One · 2024 · 5 citations
This is a protocol for a planned systematic review and meta-analysis that will investigate how different types, intensities, and durations of chronic exercise affect both overall depression severity and specific depressive symptoms (sleep, fatigue, anxiety, mood, cognition) in adults aged 60+, with the goal of identifying which exercise programs work best for which symptoms and which individuals.
Read the breakdown →Meta-analysisWikiHigh evidence score
Effectiveness of physical activity interventions on undergraduate students' mental health: systematic review and meta-analysis.
Huang K, Beckman EM, Ng N +6 more · Health Promot Int · 2024 · 47 citations
This meta-analysis synthesized evidence across multiple studies, indicating that various physical activity interventions can improve mental health outcomes like depression, anxiety, and stress in undergraduate students, suggesting that incorporating regular exercise is a promising strategy for personal well-being experiments.
Read the breakdown →Meta-analysisWikiHigh evidence score
The effects of different types of leisure-time physical activity on positive mental health among adolescents: a mixed-methods systematic review and meta-analysis.
Lenze L, Benzing V, Schmid J +3 more · Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act · 2025 · 5 citations
This mixed-methods systematic review and meta-analysis found that the positive mental health benefits of leisure-time physical activity in adolescents vary significantly depending on the specific type of activity and the particular aspect of mental health being measured, with social interaction consistently emerging as a key facilitator.
Read the breakdown →Meta-analysisHigh evidence score
Move to improve: Meta-analysis of workplace physical activity interventions.
Nath A, Schimmelpfennig S, Kreienbaum C +1 more · J Occup Health Psychol · 2025 · 2 citations
StudyPreliminary
Aerobic exercise and cognitive therapy in the treatment of dysphoric moods
Jeffrey Fremont, Linda W. Craighead · Cognitive Therapy and Research · 1987 · 152 citations
StudyTop journalModerate
The Effect of Acute Aerobic Exercise on Divergent and Convergent Thinking and Its Influence by Mood
Kohei Aga, Masato Inamura, Chong Chen +8 more · Brain Sciences · 2021 · 40 citations
Abundant evidence shows that various forms of physical exercise, even conducted briefly, may improve cognitive functions. However, the effect of physical exercise on creative thinking remains under-investigated, and the role of mood in this effect remains unclear. In the present study, we set out to investigate the effect of an acute bout of aerobic exercise on divergent and convergent thinking and whether this effect depends on the post-exercise mood. Forty healthy young adults were randomly assigned to receive a 15-min exercise or control intervention, before and after which they conducted an alternate use test measuring divergent thinking and an insight problem-solving task measuring convergent thinking. It was found that exercise enhanced divergent thinking in that it increased flexibility and fluency. Importantly, these effects were not mediated by the post-exercise mood in terms of pleasure and vigor. In contrast, the effect on convergent thinking depended on subjects' mood after exercise: subjects reporting high vigor tended to solve more insight problems that were unsolved previously, while those reporting low vigor became less capable of solving previously unsolved problems. These findings suggest that aerobic exercise may affect both divergent and convergent thinking, with the former being mood-independent and the latter mood-dependent. If these findings can be replicated with more rigorous studies, engaging in a bout of mood, particularly vigor-enhancing aerobic exercise, may be considered a useful strategy for gaining insights into previously unsolved problems.
StudyModerate
Engaging in physical activity instead of (over)using the smartphone: An experimental investigation of lifestyle interventions to prevent problematic smartphone use and to promote mental health
Lena-Marie Precht, Franziska Mertens, Debora S. Brickau +4 more · Journal of Public Health · 2023 · 29 citations
Aim: Tendencies of problematic smartphone use (PSU) have risen during the past decade. As PSU is consistently linked to mental health issues, measures to prevent its appearance and to promote mental health are urgently required. Subject and Methods: = 10.51, range: 18-79) participated in the study. Over 14 days, the three experimental groups (a) reduced their daily smartphone use time by 60 minutes, (b) increased their daily level of physical activity by 30 minutes, and (c) combined both measures. The control group continued its behavior as usual. Outcomes were assessed via online surveys at five measurement time points (baseline, intermediate, post-intervention, and 1 and 3 months after the intervention). Results: All interventions resulted in a significant increase in weekly physical activity and in reduced symptoms of PSU, depression, and anxiety. Furthermore, the smartphone reduction and the combination of both measures contributed to a significant reduction of participants' daily smartphone use and higher levels of PMH. The effects of the reduction of smartphone use time and its combination with increased physical activity were more stable in the longer term than the increase in physical activity only. Conclusion: Combined with an increase in physical activity, the reduction of smartphone use time could serve as an efficient and cost-effective measure for the prevention of PSU and the promotion of mental health.
Systematic ReviewHigh evidence score
The effects of green exercise on the mental and physical health of people with chronic conditions: a systematic review.
Tsokani A, Stefanouli V, Adriaenssens N +3 more · Int J Environ Health Res · 2025 · 2 citations
Meta-analysisHigh evidence score
The Effectiveness of Online Exercise on Physical Activity, Motor Function, and Mental Health: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Bhundoo AK, Pillay JD, Wilke J · J Med Internet Res · 2025 · 3 citations
Meta-analysisWikiHigh evidence score
The effects of physical activity on cortisol and sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
De Nys L, Anderson K, Ofosu EF +3 more · Psychoneuroendocrinology · 2022 · 250 citations
Regular physical activity generally improves sleep quality and can positively influence cortisol levels, particularly by reducing morning cortisol and improving the cortisol awakening response, suggesting it's a valuable tool for managing stress and sleep in adults.
Read the breakdown →Meta-analysisHigh evidence score
Prenatal exercise and its effects on postpartum mental health: systematic review and meta-analysis.
Hicks LE, Graf MD, Yeo S · Arch Womens Ment Health · 2025 · 13 citations
Meta-analysisWikiHigh evidence score
The effects of physical activity on the mental health of typically developing children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Fu Q, Li L, Li Q +1 more · BMC Public Health · 2025 · 38 citations
This meta-analysis found that regular physical activity significantly improves mental health in healthy children and adolescents, particularly reducing stress and boosting social competence, suggesting it's a valuable tool for personal well-being experiments.
Read the breakdown →Meta-analysisWikiHigh evidence score
Effect of physical activity interventions on physical and mental health of the elderly: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Wang Z, Qi K, Zhang P · Aging Clin Exp Res · 2025 · 6 citations
This systematic review and meta-analysis likely found that various physical activity interventions can improve both physical and mental health outcomes in older adults, suggesting that incorporating regular exercise is a beneficial self-experiment for enhancing well-being in later life.
Read the breakdown →Meta-analysisHigh evidence score
Physical exercise improves quality of life, depressive symptoms, and cognition across chronic brain disorders: a transdiagnostic systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Dauwan M, Begemann MJH, Slot MIE +3 more · J Neurol · 2021 · 234 citations