Walking, jogging, yoga and strength training are particularly beneficial for our mental health.
- Characterized depressive disorder affects all ages of life and concerns approximately 15 to 20% of the general population.
- A new study has just shown that physical activity helps fight depression.
- Walking, jogging, yoga and strength training have been shown to be particularly effective in combating depression.
A new analysis highlighted the therapeutic potential of physical exercise in the treatment of depression.
The researchers performed what is called a meta-analysis, a method that allows several therapeutic interventions to be compared simultaneously. To be included in their project, studies had to be randomized controlled trials of exercise and major depressive disorder.
Physical activity and depression: a new large-scale study
The scope of the research is vast, drawing on 218 studies involving 14,170 participants. Researchers extracted data on the type, frequency, intensity and duration of exercise interventions, as well as participant demographics, such as age, gender, baseline severity of depressive symptoms and possible comorbidities.
Researchers then noted reductions in depression symptoms attributable to several forms of physical activity. Walking, jogging, yoga and strength training have been shown to be particularly effective.
“Exercise is an excellent treatment for depression”
These results indicate that “exercise is an excellent treatment for depression”, estimates study director Michael Noetel. “As a psychologist, I have rarely seen doctors prescribe exercise for depression,” he adds.
Jonathan Roiser, professor of neuroscience and mental health at University College London, adds: “The main finding of this study is that all types of physical activity (especially aerobic exercise that makes you sweat and short of breath) leads to a reduction in depressive symptoms. This finding is similar to many studies over the past of the last decade.
Physical activity: what are the symptoms of depression?
Characterized depressive disorder affects all ages of life and concerns approximately 15 to 20% of the general population. “A depressive episode must be distinguished from ordinary fluctuations in mood. In the case of a depressive episode, the depressed mood is present most of the day, every day and for at least two weeks,” specifies the WHO.
Other symptoms are also present, including:
-Difficulty concentrating;
-Feelings of excessive guilt or low self-esteem;
-Despair about the future;
-Suicidal thoughts;
-Sleep disorders;
-Fluctuations in appetite or weight;
-Intense fatigue or loss of energy.