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Welcome to the "Learn About Exercise" section of the research articles!
Welcome to the "Learn About Exercise" section of the research articles!
These articles lay the foundation for clinicians unfamiliar with different types of exercise, such as strength training and aerobic training, to better understand what exercise involves outside the mental health scope.
These articles lay the foundation for clinicians unfamiliar with different types of exercise, such as strength training and aerobic training, to better understand what exercise involves outside the mental health scope.
What to Expect
What to Expect
For each article, you will find full citations and DOI links to help you locate the original studies. Due to copyright restrictions, the full PDFs are not provided here. However, the "Tips for Accessing Articles" section explains various legal and free methods to access these articles. Click below to navigate there now!
Learn About Exercise
Learn About Exercise
To effectively integrate exercise into trauma-informed care, clinicians need a foundational understanding of what various forms of physical activity actually involve. This section introduces key exercise modalities—such as strength training and aerobic conditioning—providing clear explanations of how these different types of movement affect the body, outlining core concepts like cardiovascular endurance and muscle activation. By building a basic knowledge of movement outside the mental health lens, counselors can better integrate exercise-informed strategies into trauma treatment.
Strength training and aerobic exercise: Comparison and contrast.
Knuttgen, H. G. (2007). Strength training and aerobic exercise: Comparison and contrast. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 21(3), 973-978. https://doi.org/10.1519/r-505011.1
Comparisons of the health benefits of strength training, aqua-fitness, and aerobic exercise for the elderly.
Leirós-Rodríguez, R., Soto-Rodríguez, A., Pérez-Ribao, I., & García-Soidán, J. L. (2018). Comparisons of the health benefits of strength training, aqua-fitness, and aerobic exercise for the elderly. Rehabilitation Research and Practice, 2018,(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/5230971
Resistance training is medicine: Effects of strength training on health.
Westcott, W. L. (2012) Resistance training is medicine: Effects of strength training on health. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 11(4), 209-216. https://doi.org/10.1249/JSR.0b013e31825dabb8
Physical exercise and health: A review.
Adamu, B., Sani, M. U., & Abdu, A. (2006). Physical exercise and health: A review. Nigerian Journal of Medicine, 15(3), 190-196. https://doi.org/10.4314/njm.v15i3.37214
Association between type of exercise and health-related quality of life in adults without activity limitations: A nationwide cross-sectional study.
Choi, M. J., Park, Y. G., Kim, Y. H., Cho, K. H., & Nam, G. E. (2020). Association between type of exercise and health-related quality of life in adults without activity limitations: A nationwide cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health, 20(1), 599. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-08699-1
What is moderate to vigorous exercise intensity?
MacIntosh, B. R., Murias, J. M., Keir, D. A., & Weir, J. M. (2021). What is moderate to vigorous exercise intensity? Frontiers in Physiology, 12, 682233. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.682233
The epidemiology of aerobic physical activity and muscle-strengthening activity guideline adherence among 383,928 US adults.
Bennie, J. A., De Cocker, K., Teychenne, M. J., Brown, W. J., & Biddle, S. J. (2019). The epidemiology of aerobic physical activity and muscle-strengthening activity guideline adherence among 383,928 US adults. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 16(1), 34. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-019-0797-2
Effectiveness of aerobic exercise for adults living with HIV: Systematic review and meta-analysis using the Cochrane Collaboration protocol.
O’Brien, K. K., Tynan, A. M., Nixon, S. A., & Glazier, R. H. (2016). Effectiveness of aerobic exercise for adults living with HIV: Systematic review and meta-analysis using the Cochrane Collaboration protocol. BMC infectious diseases, 16(1), 182. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-016-1478-2
Effects of concurrent resistance and endurance training using continuous or intermittent protocols on muscle hypertrophy: Systematic review with meta-analysis.
Monserdà-Vilaró, A., Balsalobre-Fernández, C., Hoffman, J. R., Alix-Fages, C., & Jiménez, S. L. (2023). Effects of concurrent resistance and endurance training using continuous or intermittent protocols on muscle hypertrophy: Systematic review with meta-analysis. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 37(3), 688-709. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000004304
Optimal exercise modality and dose to improve depressive symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder: A systematic review and Bayesian model-based network meta-analysis of RCTs.
Tian, S., Liang, Z., Qui, F., Yu, Y., Wang, C., Zhang, M., & Wang, X. (2024). Optimal exercise modality and dose to improve depressive symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder: A systematic review and Bayesian model-based network meta-analysis of RCTs. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 176, 384-392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.06.031
A clinical trial to compare the effects of aerobic training and resistance training on sleep quality and quality of life in older adults with sleep disturbance.
Gupta, S., Bansal, K., & Saxena, P. (2022). A clinical trial to compare the effects of aerobic training and resistance training on sleep quality and quality of life in older adults with sleep disturbance. Sleep Science, 15(02), 188-195. https://doi.org/10.5935/1984-0063.20220040
Effects of exercise training on sleep quality and heart rate variability in middle-aged and older adults with poor sleep quality: A randomized controlled trial.
Tseng, T. H., Chen, H. C., Wang, L. Y., & Chien, M. Y. (2020). Effects of exercise training on sleep quality and heart rate variability in middle-aged and older adults with poor sleep quality: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 16(9), 1483-1492. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.8560
High-intensity functional training (HIFT): Definition and research implications for improved fitness.
Feito, Y., Heinrich, K. M., Butcher, S. J., & Poston, W. S. C. (2018). High-intensity functional training (HIFT): Definition and research implications for improved fitness. Sports, 6(3), 76. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports6030076
Effects of high-intensity interval and continuous moderate aerobic training on fitness and health markers of older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Oliveira, A., Fidalgo, A., Farinatti, P., & Monteiro, W. (2024). Effects of high-intensity interval and continuous moderate aerobic training on fitness and health markers of older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Archives of gerontology and geriatrics, 124, 105451. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2024.105451
Resistance training and mortality risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Shailendra, P., Baldock, K. L., Li, L. K., Bennie, J. A., & Boyle, T. (2022). Resistance training and mortality risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis. American journal of preventive medicine, 63(2), 277-285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2022.03.020
The health benefits of resistance exercise: Beyond hypertrophy and big weights.
Abou Sawan, S., Nunes, E. A., Lim, C., McKendry, J., & Phillips, S. M. (2023). The health benefits of resistance exercise: Beyond hypertrophy and big weights. Exercise, Sport, and Movement, 1(1), e00001. https://doi.org/10.1249/ESM.0000000000000001
Optimal exercise intensity for improving executive function in patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Systematic review and network meta-analysis.
Chen, J. W., Du, W. Q., & Zhu, K. (2025). Optimal exercise intensity for improving executive function in patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Systematic review and network meta-analysis. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 34(2), 497-518. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-024-02507-6
Benefits of Pilates in the elderly population: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Pereira, M. J., Mendes, R., Mendes, R. S., Martins, F., Gomes, R., Gama, J., ... & Castro, M. A. (2022). Benefits of Pilates in the elderly population: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 12(3), 236-268. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe12030018
High-intensity interval training: A review of physiological and psychological responses.
Kilpatrick, M. W., Jung, M. E., & Little, J. P. (2014). High-intensity interval training: A review of physiological and psychological responses. ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal, 18(5), 11-16. https://doi.org/10.1249/FIT.0000000000000067
The effect of (Tabata) exercises using resistances on some health and motor fitness components.
Hamid, R. R., Ali, B. M., & Hama-Salih, K. K. (2023). The effect of (Tabata) exercises using resistances on some health and motor fitness components. Modern Sport, 22(3), 128-142. https://doi.org/10.54702/ms.v22i3.1161
What do we know about the cardiac benefits of exercise?
Wei, X., Liu, X., & Rosenzweig, A. (2015). What do we know about the cardiac benefits of exercise? Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine, 25(6), 529-536. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcm.2014.12.014
Non-Scholarly Articles
Non-Scholarly Articles
This section features clear, engaging articles that break down foundational exercise concepts—like strength training, cardio, and recovery—without the jargon of academic research. It's designed to give clinicians a practical understanding of exercise basics, so they can feel more confident integrating movement-informed approaches into trauma treatment. For all non-scholarly articles, you will find links to the article websites.
📋List of Non-Scholarly Articles
📋List of Non-Scholarly Articles
Introduction to Strength Training (Penn State College of Medicine)
Sprint, rest, repeat: Exploring the benefits of high-intensity interval training (Mayo Clinic)
Are Exercise Recovery Days Important? (University Hospitals-Ohio Health)
How Anaerobic Exercise Improves Fitness and Overall Health (Verywell Health).
The many benefits of resistance training as you age (Mayo Clinic Press)
Yoga: Effectiveness and Safety (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Pilates 101: What It Is and Health Benefits (Cleveland Clinic)
Comparing Pilates and Yoga: Which Is Right for You? (Health)
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