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Cited by 493Physical Activity and HealthPersonality Traits and PsychologyAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes

Regular exercise, anxiety, depression and personality: a population-based study

De Moor, M.H.M., Beem, A.L., Stubbe, J.H., Boomsma, D.I., De Geus, E.J.C.·2006·Preventive Medicine
DOI 10.1016/j.ypmed.2005.12.002
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Abstract

Objectives To examine whether regular exercise is associated with anxiety, depression and personality in a large population-based sample as a function of gender and age.Methods The sample consisted of adolescent and adult twins and their families (N=19,288) who participated in the study on lifestyle and health from The Netherlands Twin Registry (1991-2002). Exercise participation, anxiety, depression and personality were assessed with self-report questionnaires.Results The overall prevalence of exercise participation (with a minimum of 60 min weekly at 4 METs (Metabolic Energy Expenditure Index)) in our sample was 51.4%. Exercise participation strongly declined with age from about 70% in young adolescents to 30% in older adults. Among adolescents, males exercised more, whereas, among older adults, females exercised more. Exercisers were on average less anxious (-0.18 SD), depressed (-0.29 SD) and neurotic (-0.14 SD), more extraverted (+0.32 SD) and were higher in dimensions of sensation seeking (from+0.25 SD to+0.47 SD) than non-exercisers. These differences were modest in size, but very consistent across gender and age.Conclusions This study corroborates and extends previous findings: regular exercise is cross-sectionally associated with lower neuroticism, anxiety and depression and higher extraversion and sensation seeking in the population.

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  • Physical activity also alters activity in neuropharmacological pathways (i.e., serotonin, brain derived neurotropic factor, and endorphins) implicated in anxiety, which may underlie subjective feelings of post-exercise relaxation.

    “Physical activity also alters activity in neuropharmacological pathways (i.e., serotonin, brain derived neurotropic factor, and endorphins) implicated in anxiety, which may underlie subjective feelings of post-exercise relaxation (De Moor et al., 2006; Carek et al., 2011).”

    From Reciprocal associations between screen time and emotional disorder symptoms during adolescence (2019) · cites this paper as De Moor et al., 2006

  • People who are more physically active may be less likely to have anxiety disorders.

    “Recent epidemiological data further suggests that people who are more active may be less likely to have anxiety disorders.”

    From Moving to Beat Anxiety: Epidemiology and Therapeutic Issues with Physical Activity for Anxiety (2018) · cites this paper as [50]

  • Several studies of the general population have found that people who engage in more physical activity have a reduced risk of being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and less frequent and severe anxiety symptoms.

    “Several studies of the general population have found that people who engage in more PA have a reduced risk of being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and less frequent and severe anxiety symptoms [47–52]⁠.”

    From Moving to Beat Anxiety: Epidemiology and Therapeutic Issues with Physical Activity for Anxiety (2018) · cites this paper as [50]

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Authors
De Moor, M. H. M., Beem, A. L., Stubbe, J. H., Boomsma, D. I., & De Geus, E. J. C.
Affiliations
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
ORCID
Boomsma, D.I.
Venue
Preventive Medicine
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2006-04
Volume
42
Issue
4
Pages
273-279
ISSN
0091-7435 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.ypmed.2005.12.002
OpenAlex
W2120287009
Cited by
493
References
41
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 26 · 2023: 38 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 38 · 2020: 40 · 2019: 23 · 2018: 28 · 2017: 29 · 2016: 30 · 2015: 31 · 2014: 21 · 2013: 34 · 2012: 30
FWCI
8.17
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Preventive Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • EUR Research Repository (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (publishedVersion)
  • VU Research Portal (submittedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
  • EUR Research Repository (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (submittedVersion)
  • Digital Academic REpository of VU University Amsterdam (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) (submittedVersion)
  • Pure Amsterdam UMC (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
Keywords
regular exercise, physical activity, anxiety, depression, personality, neuroticism, extraversion, sensation seeking, gender differences, age differences, adolescents, older adults, twins
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Anxiety, Cross-Sectional Studies, Depression, Female, Humans, Life Style, Male, Mental Health, Middle Aged, Netherlands, Neurotic Disorders, Personality, Surveys and Questionnaires, Registries, Twins, Exercise, Prevalence

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