Two people biking by the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco (Photo by Maridav on Shutterstock)
Running, cycling, or even just walking might work as well as popping a pill when it comes to depression. A sweeping analysis of nearly 80,000 people found that exercise reduced depression symptoms with an effect comparable to, and in some cases larger than, what’s typically reported for antidepressant medications and psychotherapy in prior research.
The numbers are compelling. Exercise produced an effect of -0.61 for depression in this review. The authors note this magnitude matches or exceeds effect sizes from earlier research on antidepressants (-0.36) and psychotherapy (-0.34). The research, published in theBritish Journal of Sports Medicine, examined data from more than 1,000 individual studies spanning children to older adults.
Lead researcher Neil Richard Munro and his team at James Cook University in Australia specifically excluded anyone with chronic physical diseases like heart disease or cancer. That decision matters because it isolates what exercise actually does formental health, without other health problems muddying the waters.
Young adults between 18 and 30 saw the biggest improvements, with exercise producing particularly strong symptom reductions in this age group. That timing matters since this age often marks when depression first shows up.
New mothers also experienced powerful benefits. Postpartum depression hits hard, and finding treatments that work during this vulnerable time can feel impossible. Exercise programs designed for women after giving birth produced strong symptom reductions without the concerns about medication while breastfeeding.
Aerobic exercisecame out on top. Running, walking, cycling (activities that get your heart pumping) showed the strongest effects. However, resistance training, yoga, tai chi, and mixed programs all helped too. The best exercise is the one you’ll actually do.
Group settings made a real difference. People who exercised with others experienced bigger improvements than solo exercisers. Maybe it’s the accountability, maybe it’s the social connection, maybe it’s just more fun. Whatever the mechanism, working out together seems to add something beyond the physical movement itself.
Supervised programs also beat unsupervised ones. Having a trainer or instructor guide your workout produced better mental health outcomes than going it alone.
Interestingly, depression and anxiety responded to different exercise prescriptions.
Source: Drudge Report
