Abstract

Aims: Sport and physical activity is an important aspect of general health that people involved in creating a high level of personal responsibility for their health and well-being. Prolonged exercise causes the person to fulfill his/her routine duties efficient and without fatigue and to remain some amount of energy to use in leisure time. Accordingly, the present study was examined the relationship between physical fitness and mental health of staff on a military university. Methods: This research accomplished with correlational method 326 participants (213 male and 113 female) selected randomly from a military university staff and performed physical fitness tests and SCL 90-R questionnaire. Results: Data analysis indicated that physical fitness and mental health levels were higher in men than women. There was a significant relationship (p<0.05) between physical fitness and mental health. Flexibility explained many portion of mental health variance (especially somatization, obsessive-compulsive, depression, anxiety and hostility). There was positive and significant correlation between body mass Index (BMI) and somatization component of mental health, too. So higher levels of somatization signs reported in fat people. Conclusion: The results of this research indicated physical fitness and exercise role in mental health and it is specified that the influence of flexibility and agility in mental health is more than other tests. Results of this research suggest that it must pay more attention to sport programs and increasing employee's physical fitness, so this procedure will help to increase mental health.