Chapter 14 Physical Activity and Mental Health “Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it.” ~Plato

The WHO has projected that depression will be 2 nd only to CVD as the world’s leading cause of death and disability by 2020 and will be 1 by 2030 ahead of CVD with dementia being 3 rd. Accumulated evidence states that activity protects against depression and anxiety disorders as well as cognitive decline and dementia associated with aging. In the US the estimated costs of mental disorders are a combined 6.2% of health care expenditures. In the US dementia and other diseases of the CNS are leading causes of death and mental disorders account for more than 40% of years lost to disability. Exercise improves brain health through positive neurogenerative (new cells), neurotrophic (cell growth), neuroprotective (cell survival), neuroplastic (density and complexity of synapses), and vascular (better circulation) changes. A serious mental illness in the US costs about $16,000 in annual lost earnings, a total impact of $193.2 bill to the economy.

Nearly half Americans will meet the criteria for at least one mental health disorder in their life, usually first in childhood or adolescence. Half of all lifetime cases start by age 14 and ¾ by 24. Rates of anxiety, mood and substance use disorders in the US differ according to age, sex and race. Suicide is the 2 nd leading cause of death among and the 3 rd leading cause of death among year olds. The father of American psychology, William James, recognized exercise as being important for decreasing worry and elevating mood at the turn of the 20 th century. Hippocrates prescribed exercise for his patients suffering from depression. 17 th century scholar Robert Burton (1632) noted in The Anatomy of Melancholy, sloth or physical inactivity had been regarded as a cause of depression since antiquity. Not only are anxiety and mood disorders the most prevalent mental health problems in the US they are also risk factors for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.