Exercising in a group would be effective in improving mental, physical and emotional health, according to the results of a study published in the medical journal The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. Group training reduces stress by 26% and significantly improves quality of life, whereas people who train individually work harder but experience no significant change in their mental health.
Researchers from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in the UK conducted a study with 69 volunteers, medical students, who were highly exposed to stress, having declared a poor quality of life. To test the effectiveness of physical exercise, participants chose to follow a sports program alone or in a group for 3 months. Every four weeks, participants completed a survey asking them to rate their level of perceived stress and quality of life in three categories: mental, physical and emotional.
Reduce stress and improve mental health
At the end of the twelve weeks, the average monthly results of their survey showed significant improvements in all three measures of quality of life for the volunteers who underwent group physical activity: mental (12.6%), physical (24 .8%) and emotional (26%). They also reported a 26.2% reduction in levels of stress perceived.
In comparison, solo athletes spent twice as much, but saw no significant change except in mental quality of life (11% increase).
“The common benefits of doing something difficult with friends or colleagues, while encouraging the other, offer a reward beyond the sport”, concludes Dayna Yorks, author of this study.
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