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UK NEWS: Housework is good for you Just 20 minutes of housework a week boosts moods while regular exercise in middle age can slow down ageing, according to research published today.
Two new studies added to the weight of evidence on the benefits of taking exercise.
The first showed how just 20 minutes of housework or gardening a week can reduce feelings of psychological distress.
Those who managed to do even more exercise each week or who took part in sports had their spirits lifted even further, it showed.
Although exercise is known to boost people's mental health, researchers from University College London (UCL) wanted to find out how long people should exercise for and what type was best.
They asked 19,842 men and women taking part in the Scottish Health Survey how much exercise, and what kind of activities, they did every week.
People were also quizzed about their state of mind, with 3,200 members of the group found to be suffering stress or anxiety according to a commonly-used mental health scale.
The study found that any form of daily physical activity was linked to lower levels of distress even when factors like age and long-term health problems were taken into account.
The range of activities shown to improve mood included housework, gardening, walking and sports.
Taking part in sports each week lowered the risk of distress the most - by 33%, the study found.
But even walking and domestic tasks like housework and gardening reduced distress by 13% to 20%.
Writing in the British Journal of Sports medicine, the authors concluded: "Mental health benefits were observed at a minimal level of at least 20 minutes each week of any physical activity, although a dose-response pattern was demonstrated with greater risk reduction for activity at a higher volume and/or intensity.'' The authors also noted that exercise cut the risk of developing diseases like heart disease and cancer.
Blood glucose levels are also better regulated through exercise, as is inflammation, which have been linked to depression and dementia, they added.
Two new studies added to the weight of evidence on the benefits of taking exercise.
The first showed how just 20 minutes of housework or gardening a week can reduce feelings of psychological distress.
Those who managed to do even more exercise each week or who took part in sports had their spirits lifted even further, it showed.
Although exercise is known to boost people's mental health, researchers from University College London (UCL) wanted to find out how long people should exercise for and what type was best.
They asked 19,842 men and women taking part in the Scottish Health Survey how much exercise, and what kind of activities, they did every week.
People were also quizzed about their state of mind, with 3,200 members of the group found to be suffering stress or anxiety according to a commonly-used mental health scale.
The study found that any form of daily physical activity was linked to lower levels of distress even when factors like age and long-term health problems were taken into account.
The range of activities shown to improve mood included housework, gardening, walking and sports.
Taking part in sports each week lowered the risk of distress the most - by 33%, the study found.
But even walking and domestic tasks like housework and gardening reduced distress by 13% to 20%.
Writing in the British Journal of Sports medicine, the authors concluded: "Mental health benefits were observed at a minimal level of at least 20 minutes each week of any physical activity, although a dose-response pattern was demonstrated with greater risk reduction for activity at a higher volume and/or intensity.'' The authors also noted that exercise cut the risk of developing diseases like heart disease and cancer.
Blood glucose levels are also better regulated through exercise, as is inflammation, which have been linked to depression and dementia, they added.
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