Synopses & Reviews
Exercise has long been touted anecdotally as an effective tool to raise spirits or reduce tension, but only recently has rigorous science caught up with these claims. Now there is overwhelming evidence that regular exercise can help relieve everything from common feelings of stress and anxiety to full-blown depression.
With Exercise for Mood and Anxiety, well-known authorities Michael Otto and Jasper Smits bring their clinically tested exercise program to the general public. Written for those who need a more effective way to manage everyday low mood and stress--as well as those diagnosed with more serious mood disorders--this book provides readers with step-by-step guidance on how to start and maintain an exercise program geared towards improving mood. Equally important, the book sheds much light on the all-important issue of motivation. Most Americans quickly fall off the exercise wagon. This book helps demystify the traps of good intentions and the pitfalls that derail exercise attempts. How can you get yourself to exercise when you are tired, distracted, or stressed? What should you pay attention to during a walk or a run? How should you prepare yourself so that getting out for a run is not harder than the run itself? In answering these questions, the authors not only provide readers with effective strategies for adopting a successful program, but also introduce the principles that will help them keep with the program for the long haul.
Providing rich examples and practical advice on overcoming the obstacles to a regular exercise program, Exercise for Mood and Anxiety will help readers feel happier and less stressed now--and, as they stay with this program, improve their fitness and health in the future.
Review
"There is no better example of the potential for self-repair and resilience than the power of exercise and no better guide to those in need than this volume by Drs. Otto and Smits. This book should be part of the therapeutic 'prescription' for all who suffer mood, anxiety, and related disorders." - Jerrod F. Rosenbaum, MD, Harvard Medical School
"This is a very useful book for individuals who want to improve their mood through exercise. The authors provide an elegant blueprint to help readers motivate themselves, overcome the obstacles to carrying out the program, and above all, maintain the routine over time." - Aaron T. Beck, MD, University of Pennsylvania
"...the book represents good value for money, particularly for signposting patients towards reading material when they are struggling with stress in the workplace. It would also be useful for the clinician working with patients with depression or anxiety, as well as those with physical health concerns and for those who simply may benefit from improving their lifestyle using exercise." --Occupational Medicine
Synopsis
Exercise has long been touted anecdotally as an effective tool for mood improvement, but only recently has rigorous science caught up with these claims. There is now overwhelming evidence that regular exercise can help relieve low mood-from feelings of stress and anxiety to full depressive episodes.
With Exercise for Mood and Anxiety, Michael Otto and Jasper Smits, well-known authorities on cognitive behavioral therapy, take their empirically-based mood regulation strategy from the clinic to the general public. Written for those with diagnosed mood disorders as well as those who simply need a new strategy for managing the low mood and stress that is an everyday part of life, this book provides readers with step-by-step guidance on how to start and maintain an exercise program geared towards improving mood, with a particular emphasis on understanding the relationship between mood and motivation. Readers learn to attend carefully to mood states prior to and following physical activity in order to leverage the full benefits of exercise, and that the trick to maintaining an exercise program is not in applying more effort, but in arranging one's environment so that less effort is needed. As a result readers not only acquire effective strategies for adopting a successful program, but are introduced to a broader philosophy for enhancing overall well-being. Providing patient vignettes, rich examples, and extensive step-by-step guidance on overcoming the obstacles that prevent adoption of regular exercise for mood, Exercise for Mood and Anxiety is a unique translation of scientific principles of clinical and social psychology into an action-based strategy for mood change.
About the Author
Michael W. Otto, PhD is Professor of Psychology at Boston University. He has done extensive research on strategies to improve treatments for anxiety, mood, and substance use disorders.
Jasper A. J. Smits, PhD is Associate Professor of Psychology at Southern Methodist University. He has done research on both anxiety disorders and health habits such as smoking, including a current large-scale study on the use of exercise for smoking cessation.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Exercise Works for Your Mood
Chapter 2. Why Exercise Programs Fail
Chapter 3. The Truth About Motivation
Chapter 4. Directing Your Thoughts for Exercise Success
Chapter 5. Planning Your Exercise Routine
Chapter 6. The Exercise Prescription
Chapter 7. Enjoying Yourself During Exercise
Chapter 8. Rewarding Yourself After Exercise
Chapter 9. Diversifying Your Exercise Routine
Chapter 10. An Active Life - Extending Your Achievements
Chapter 11. Resources for Exercise