‘This is timely and will be of special interest to health service managers and members of primary care groups because the successful promotion of regular physical activity is a challenge contained in the strategy of Our Healthier Nation and is a candidate for incorporation into health improvement programmes and the service framework for coronary heart disease’ — Health Service Journal This crisply written and thought-provoking book integrates theories and studies from several disciplines to examine what is known about physical activity and health.

Physical Activity, Psychological Health, and Quality of Life

Physical activity, psychological health, and quality of life

Mental health is an essential component of overall health and must be considered in understanding the relationship between physical activity and health. Mental illnesses are found in all populations. They cause much human suffering, consume vast amounts of health care resources, and create economic burdens on individuals and societies. The most common mental disorders are depression and anxiety disorders. More than 10% of U.S. adults suffer from depression in any given year, and annual prevalence rates for anxiety disorders are between 13% and 17% (Kessler et al., 1994).

Associations between physical activity and psychological health have been written about since ancient times, but systematic research on the topic did not appear ...

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