ST. Lucia, Australia — New research shows that jogging, yoga, strength training, and even simple walks can significantly reduce depression. The report highlights that a variety of physical activities, from low-intensity to more intense exercise, all effectively reduce symptoms of depression. However, the intensity of activity corresponds to the magnitude of the mental health benefits.
A research team led by Dr Michael Noetel from the University of Queensland found that exercise, whether carried out alone or in conjunction with traditional treatments such as psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy, is particularly effective in reducing depression. We emphasize that it is effective. Despite these promising findings, the researchers caution that the reliability of many of the results remains low, highlighting the need for further high-quality research. However, they advocate considering these physical activities as a fundamental component of depression treatment strategies.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 300 million people worldwide suffer from depression. Although exercise is commonly recommended alongside psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy, treatment guidelines are inconsistent regarding the optimal exercise prescription for depression relief.
In search of clarity, the research team looked at 218 trials involving more than 14,000 participants, comparing exercise to established depression treatments. This comprehensive analysis revealed that depression was significantly reduced through a variety of exercises, including dancing, walking, jogging, yoga, strength training, mixed aerobic exercise, and tai chi.
In particular, combining exercise with prescription medications and integrating aerobic exercise with psychotherapy has been shown to improve treatment outcomes, suggesting additional benefits of exercise in established treatment regimens.
The study also found gender- and age-specific effects. For example, strength training had more pronounced results in women, while yoga and Qi Gong were more beneficial for men. Additionally, yoga was more effective in older people, while strength training was more effective in younger people. Light activities like walking and yoga can have a big effect, but more intense exercises like running and interval training are even more effective.
Exercise has proven to be equally effective across different demographics, including individuals with or without other health conditions and with different levels of depression severity. Similar effects were observed for both individual and group exercise in this study, and factors such as social interaction, mindfulness, and engagement with nature may play a role in the observed positive outcomes. It suggests that.
“Our findings support the inclusion of exercise, particularly vigorous-intensity exercise, as part of clinical practice guidelines for depression,” study authors said in a media release. “Health care systems may want to offer these treatments as an alternative or adjunct to other established interventions, while reducing the physical health risks associated with depression.”
“Primary care clinicians can now recommend exercise, psychotherapy, or antidepressants as sole alternatives for adults with mild or moderate depression,” said Juan from the University of Malaga.・Angel Veron explains in the linked editorial.
However, study authors noted that regular exercise can be difficult for people with depression. Professor Bellon called on health services and local and national governments to “provide sufficient resources to make personalized and supervised exercise programs available to the whole population”.
This research BMJ.
You may also be interested in:
SWNS writer Stephen Beech contributed to this report.
