Research: Low Physical Fitness Possible Risk Factor for Later Mental Disorders

In this review: Individual and combined associations between cardiorespiratory fitness and grip strength with common mental disorders: a prospective cohort study in the UK Biobank
BMC Medicine, November 2020

The Message
Researchers in the UK believe that the link between physical fitness and mental health may be even stronger — and longer-lasting — than previously understood, with the relationship so significant that lower levels of physical fitness could be viewed as risk factors for later mental disorders. They reached their conclusions after analyzing self-reported mental health data from more than 150,000 study participants with varying levels of cardiorespiratory fitness and grip strength at baseline, and comparing the data with mental health reports seven years later.

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