It doesn’t take a lot of exercise to fight depression, study says
“Most benefits are realized when moving from no activity to at least some,” the study authors wrote.
Alternatively, a person can choose a vigorous aerobic exercise, such as running, for 1.25 hours each week, along with the same amount of strength training.
But in today’s busy world, many people find it difficult to fit in a jog or a visit to the gym. Add depression to the mix, and the motivation for exercise drops even further, experts say.
Every little bit helps
Adults who did activities equivalent to 1.25 hours of brisk walking per week had an 18% lower risk of depression compared with those who did not exercise, the study said.
Moving up to an “activity volume equivalent to 2.5 hours of brisk walking per week was associated with 25% lower risk of depression,” the study authors said.
The benefits were strongest when a person transitioned from being a couch potato to adding movement to the day, the study said. However, exercising over the recommended levels did not provide any additional benefits.
“Our findings therefore have important new implications for health practitioners making lifestyle recommendations, especially to inactive individuals who may perceive the current recommended target (of exercise) as unrealistic,” the authors wrote.
Prior research
“Even just walking just three times a week seems to give people better mental health than not exercising at all,” study author Adam Chekroud, an assistant adjunct professor of psychiatry at Yale University, told CNN at the time.
Exercising in 45-minute sessions three to five times a week was the most beneficial for improving mental health, the 2018 study found. However, even doing household chores reduced poor mental health days by about 10%, the study said.
The types of movement included running, biking and walking, as well as activities like doing chores, painting or playing an instrument.
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