I am interested in the effects of exercise on various mental illnesses because it is a topic that has the potential to have either a positive or a negative effect on the lives of many; however, these effects are not discussed as widely or as often as they should be. This research question affects me personally because I am interested to see if exercise can be used as a form of medication rather than just a tool for healthy living. If exercise has a positive effect on mental illness, then it should be used more within the medical field. Medication could be used less frequently and exercise could act as its replacement for certain mental illnesses if there turns out to be a positive result. If exercise has a negative effect on certain disorders then it should be brought up by doctors to either avoid or to practice in moderation. I am qualified to write about this subject because I have conducted research and have found scholarly articles that discuss my topic. This information has been peer-reviewed and comes from credible sources as well as authors who are experts in their fields. 

The central claim of my first article is that exercise has a positive effect on many mental illnesses but either has no effect or even a negative effect on others depending on the person and the disorder. The evidence given in the article consists of controlled and uncontrolled experiments on people with different illnesses. The values at stake for this article include the motivation that someone with a mental illness has to work out, the use of exercise over medication, and the risk of someone becoming addicted to exercise. The interest is the change in the medical field that this natural form of medication could possibly bring. All three authors are professors of psychiatry at different highly acclaimed universities which means that they are very knowledgeable in their field and therefore credible. After reading the article, I have discovered that it is not biased because each claim is backed up and both sides of the argument, either for or against exercise for those with mental illnesses, is equally represented. 

The next article offers a different view on the effect of exercise on mental illnesses. This article focuses on the social as well as chemical stigma that comes along with exercise and self image. The article states that exercise and physical health have just as much of an effect on psychological well being as social expectations do, therefore exercise has a positive effect. Values at stake for this article include the social expectations that come along with either being overweight or exercising regularly. The interest is an overall healthier population as a result of these social expectations and the general habit of exercising. The article is biased towards the positive effects of exercise on mental illness. It states that exercise and being physically fit improve psychological well being, including depression, because of the social expectations attached to it as well as the chemical change that is brought about by exercise. 

This final article states that there is a positive effect on mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety disorders; however, there is little to no effect on substance abuse and psychotic disorders. This article uses controlled studies as well as personal accounts as evidence in order to discern whether exercise helps or harms when it comes to the different mental illnesses. The values at stake for this article are that exercise helps only certain disorders and either has a negative effect or no effect on others. The interests for this article pertain mainly to those where exercise has a positive effect. The author, Renee D Goodwin, is a credible author because she has a Ph.D. and teaches in the department of Epidemiology at Columbia University. There is no bias in this article because both the positives and negatives are analyzed and there are more positive outcomes rather than negative ones. 

This research question is arguable because there are many different arguments that either state whether exercise has either a positive effect, a negative effect, or no effect on mental illnesses. Some say that there are positive effects on many or all of the mental illnesses while others say that those with addictive personalities can become addicted to exercise which can have a negative effect by making their disorder worse in the long run. There are also those who argue that exercise has no effect on mental illnesses at all. There is less of an effect on some illnesses than I thought but other than that my view is affirmed. 

