Happy Hours at the Gym

Women who do strenuous exercise are more likely than men to benefit psychologically from their exertions, according to an American research team.

Women who do strenuous exercise are more likely than men to benefit psychologically from their exertions, according to an American research team. While women generally feel positive after they exercise till they drop, men who do the same appear not to experience a similar feel-good factor.

Researchers tested women aged 30 to 66 who varied widely in their weight and fitness. The test involved brisk, non-stop walking on a treadmill. Most of the women lasted for at least 12 minutes, but after 20 minutes, all dropped out through exhaustion. After each session, the women were given a questionnaire to study mood. All the women felt a reduction of tension and anxiety.

An earlier study on men had found that overtraining caused men to feel mentally rundown. The difference between men and women could be because men push themselves harder when asked to exercise to exhaustion. In both studies, the volunteers were allowed to make their own decisions on when they had had enough. So it could be that the men were letting themselves get so exhausted that any positive effects of the exercise on mood were completely wiped out.