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Can exercise stop one in three cases of depression? A third of people at risk for mental health problems could avoid this by exercising regularly, study shows
- Research suggests that exercise can reduce the risk of depression and anxiety
- Exercising intensively for 75 minutes a week can reduce risk by almost 19 percent
- Figures come as one in five UK adults suffers from depression or anxiety
A third of people at risk for depression and anxiety can prevent it by getting enough exercise, a study suggests.
Exercise is a well-known treatment for people with depression, and doctors even prescribe it.
But exercising more may prevent people from becoming depressed and anxious in the first place, suggests a study of more than 37,000 people.
If everyone did vigorous exercise for 75 minutes a week — which makes breathing difficult and includes running and swimming — that could prevent nearly 19 percent of depression and anxiety cases, researchers concluded.
Study Suggests Regular Exercise May Reduce Depression and Anxiety Diagnosis
And if we all did between two and a half and five hours a week of moderate activity — which makes you breathe faster and includes brisk walking, biking, and dancing — another 13 percent of depression and anxiety diagnoses would never happen.
These findings suggest that nearly a third of the cases of depression and anxiety, which affect one in five adults in the UK, can be prevented through exercise.
dr. Carlos Celis-Morales, senior author of the study from the University of Glasgow, said: ‘This is a very strong public health message, as exercise is free and anyone can increase how much they do in a week.’
The study, in the journal BMC Medicine, looked at people ages 37 to 73 who had no anxiety. They were given fitness trackers to track physical activity.
When followed, about 3 percent had developed depression or anxiety for an average of nearly seven years.
Based on the results, researchers calculated that sedentary people who switch to 75 to 150 minutes per week of vigorous activity are 29 percent less likely to develop depression or anxiety.
Doing 150 to 300 minutes a week of moderate exercise could reduce the risk of becoming anxious or depressed by 47 percent.
More research is needed, as the study authors don’t yet understand whether it’s the exercise itself that makes the difference.
While physical activity floods the brain with reward chemicals, the benefits may have more to do with exercising with other people and the boost we get from socializing.