The effects of exercise on the mood of mentally-challenged adults

Research indicates positive affective change occurs following acute bouts of exercise, but whether this improved mood may be generalized to mentally-challenged individuals is not known. The present study examined whether participation in an aerobic walking session produced an enhancement in the mood states of mentally-challenged adults, and if so, whether the effects persisted for 24 hours. Fourteen participants were aged 19 to 50 years. They participated in both in 20-minute walking session and a 20-minute no-exercise session (control session). The study was a within-subject design. The order of the treatments was also counter-balanced to avoid any carry-over effects. The Profile of Mood States was administered just prior to, and immediately after each session, as well as approximately 24 hours later. Analysis of the data indicated there was a significant improvement in mood after the walking session, but no difference after the no-exercise session. Specifically, there was significant increase in scores of vigor, confidence, clearheadedness, and elatedness relative to pre-exercise scores. After 24 hours, only scores of confidence remained significantly lower than the pre-exercise levels. Therefore, previous findings of significant improvements in mood after exercise can now be generalized to the mentally-challenged population.