The interactive role of exercise and sleep on veteran recovery from symptoms of PTSD
Section snippets
Participants
Participants were 217 male military veterans (Mage = 52.18 years, SD = 7.06; Range 24–70 years) admitted to a 60–90-day VA residential rehabilitation program for PTSD, during which time individuals participated in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for PTSD. Exclusion criteria for enrollment in the program included: (a) illicit substance and/or alcohol use during treatment, and (b) medical conditions with high probabilities of significantly interfering with or preventing psychological treatment
Results
Independent samples t-tests demonstrated that individuals who engaged in the cycling group reported lower depression symptoms at treatment intake (M = 19.96, SD = 3.26) and discharge (M = 17.24, SD = 4.33) compared to those who did not cycle (M = 26.15, SD = 9.88; M = 21.14, SD = 12.14, respectively). There were no differences in age, intake or discharge PTSD symptoms, or sleep quality, between those who did and did not engage in the cycling group (p's range from .09–.96). In terms of relations
Discussion
The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of sleep and exercise (defined as miles cycled over the course of treatment) on PTSD symptom severity among U.S. military veterans engaged in residential PTSD treatment. Neither sleep nor exercise were directly associated with changes in total PTSD symptom severity or symptom clusters of re-experiencing or avoidance/numbing; however, sleep and exercise interacted to predict changes in PTSD hyperarousal symptoms. Exercise was
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2022, Mental Health and Physical ActivityCitation Excerpt :Activities that require energy expenditure at a rate above 7 kcal/min would thus be defined as vigorous PA. MVPA is widely recommended to improve overall health and is well cited in academic literature to improve mental and physical health outcomes in those with and without psychiatric disorders (Babson et al., 2015; Björkman & Ekblom, 2021; Bull et al., 2020; Goldstein et al., 2018). A review of the available research reveals that engagement in PA has the potential to decrease depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and other health morbidities and symptomologies associated with PTSD (Goldstein et al., 2018; Oppizzi & Umberger, 2018).
Prior short-term exercise prevents behavioral and biochemical abnormalities induced by single prolonged stress in a rat model of posttraumatic stress disorder
2022, Behavioural Brain ResearchCitation Excerpt :Recent studies highlight the impact of exercise on the prevention and treatment of different psychopathological abnormalities and several epidemiological studies have shown significant cross-sectional correlations between mental health and exercise [94]. Similarly, many animal [72,80] and human studies [21,31,33,8] have confirmed the positive effects of exercise on brain health. In other words, regular physical activity and an active lifestyle are effective ways to improve physiological and mental health [1,23,35].
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2021, American Journal of Geriatric PsychiatryCitation Excerpt :Additionally, a recent review identified 10 studies that examined exercise programs for persons with PTSD and reported overall benefits on PTSD symptoms when delivered alone or in combination with standard treatments.14 Of these 10 studies, three were conducted with US veterans,8,15,16 all of which demonstrated improved PTSD symptoms. Yet, none of these studies examined the impact of an exercise intervention in older adults, thereby precluding conclusions as to the effectiveness of such programs for this population.
Physical interventions for the treatment of trauma and stressor-related disorders: A comprehensive systematic review
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2020, Complementary Therapies in Clinical PracticeCitation Excerpt :Physical activity is defined as being inclusive of all muscular movement with an increase in energy expenditure [2]; whereas leisure-time physical activity (i.e., behaviour consciously aimed at improving physical fitness) is typically considered sport and exercise [3]. The literature suggests engaging in regular physical activity can improve mental health, decrease depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and these and other health conditions associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) [4,5]. This may be of particular importance to people who have experienced high levels of trauma and violence as physical activity may be a useful adjunct to usual care (e.g., talk therapy, medications) to improve health outcomes for individuals with PTSD; or for individuals who do not have diagnoses (or who do not actually align with the notion of PTSD).