Many people notice their mood improves after exercise, and a new review shows just how strong this effect can be. Even gentle activities such as walking or gardening may reduce depression symptoms as effectively as antidepressants or talking therapies.
Andrew Clegg of the University of Lancashire says the findings reinforce exercise as a valid option for people with depression, confirming it can be as effective as psychotherapy or medication.
These conclusions support earlier research, including a 2013 Cochrane Library review, which found exercise could relieve depression symptoms as effectively as treatments like antidepressants and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
Exercise Recommended for Depression
As a result, healthcare bodies now advise regular physical activity as part of depression treatment. For example, the UK’s NICE recommends weekly aerobic exercise for 10 weeks, often combined with other treatments.
Since the 2013 review, many additional studies have been completed, prompting the Cochrane Library to release an updated analysis. Andrew Clegg says the new review almost doubles the previous evidence.
Clegg’s team reviewed 69 trials with nearly 5,000 adults with depression, focusing first on 57 studies comparing regular exercise to no treatment or a waiting list.
Types and Duration of Exercise in the Trials
Most trials involved weekly exercise for several weeks to months, ranging from light activities like gardening to vigorous ones like sprinting, while yoga and stretching were excluded to focus on physical activity alone.
The researchers found that exercise produces a moderate reduction in depressive symptoms, such as persistent sadness or loss of interest in others.
According to Brendon Stubbs of King’s College London, who was not involved in the review, the improvement is clinically significant and noticeable for individuals.
Exercise vs. CBT and Antidepressants
The team reviewed 10 trials comparing exercise with CBT and five trials with antidepressants only. The results showed that, on average, regular physical activity was just as effective as both CBT and medication. Emily Hird noted no significant differences between these approaches.
Further analysis suggested that light to moderate exercise may be more beneficial than intense workouts, possibly because people are more likely to maintain them. Stubbs explains that more demanding exercise can lead to higher dropout rates, which may reduce its overall effectiveness compared with gentler activities.
The exact reasons exercise helps are not fully understood, but Stubbs suggests it likely works through multiple pathways. For example, exercising in groups can improve social connections, while learning new physical skills may boost self-confidence, both of which can support positive life changes.
How Exercise Benefits the Brain and Reduces Depression
Exercise releases myokines, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which reduce inflammation and promote new brain cell growth. Resistance training, producing more myokines, was found more effective than aerobic exercise alone.
Overall, these results reinforce current guidelines that promote exercise as a treatment for depression. Hird notes that participants knew their treatment group, so some benefits might be placebo effects. In addition, many of the studies included relatively small sample sizes, which limits the strength of their conclusions.
Hird says larger studies are needed to determine which exercises work best, for whom, and why. At present, it isn’t clear which individuals benefit most from specific approaches. Severe depression may respond better to CBT or antidepressants, while exercise type depends on the individual.
Despite these uncertainties, existing evidence consistently shows that exercise supports both mental and physical health, says Stubbs. Running, gym workouts, pilates, or yoga all help, but the key is finding exercise people enjoy and can maintain.
Read the original article on: Newscientist
Read more:Rainbow Around Nearby Dead Star Puzzles Scientists
