Dr. Rhiannon White on the benefits of exercise for mental health, exercise as a treatment for mental illnesses, how to make exercise a consistent habit and the best type of exercise for wellbeing.
Dr. Rhiannon White’s Bio
Dr. Rhiannon White is a Lecturer in Health and Physical Education at Western Sydney University. Dr. White’s PhD and current research focuses on the relationship between variables of exercise and mental health outcomes. Dr. White has published many peer-reviewed journal articles on the topic and presented at various conferences.
Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:55 “Exercise is medicine”
8:20 The mental health benefits of exercise
11:20 Exercise to treat mental illness
20:20 Mechanisms of exercise for mental health
30:00 Influencers promoting exercise
33:35 Can exercise be bad for mental health?
38:15 Improving exercise adherence
57:50 Weights vs. Cardio for mental health
1:02:10 Best time of day to exercise
1:06:50 Optimal duration, frequency of exercise
1:10:10 Life domains and exercise
1:15:30 Importance of autonomy and enjoyment in exercise
Further resources mentioned in episode:
“How does the context of physical activity influence perceived mood and wellbeing after exercise?” by White et. al. (2023)
“Do we need physical activity guidelines for mental health: What does the evidence tell us?” by Teychenne et. al. (2020)
“Domain-specific Physical Activity and Mental Health: A Meta-analysis” by White et. al. (2017)
“Optimising the effects of physical activity on mental health and wellbeing: A joint consensus statement from Sports Medicine Australia and the Australian Psychological Society” by Vella et. al. (2023)
“The effects of training group exercise class instructors to adopt a motivationally adaptive communication style” by Ntoumanis et. al. (2016)
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