Moderate exercise not only treats, but prevents depression
Key points
- Physical activity is being increasingly recognized as an effective tool to treat depression.
- This is the first longitudinal review to focus exclusively on the role that exercise plays in maintaining good mental health and preventing the onset of depression later in life.
- Mammen - who is supervised by Professor Guy Faulkner, a co-author of the review - analyzed over 26 years’ worth of research findings to discover that even low levels of physical activity (walking and gardening for 20-30 minutes a day) can ward off depression in people of all age groups.
- Mammen’s findings come at a time when mental health experts want to expand their approach beyond treating depression with costly prescription medication.
Physical activity is being increasingly recognized as an effective tool to treat depression. PhD candidate George Mammen’s review published in the October issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine has taken the connection one step further, finding that moderate exercise can actually prevent episodes of depression in the long term.
This is the first longitudinal review to focus exclusively on the role that exercise plays in maintaining good mental health and preventing the onset of depression later in life.
Mammen - who is supervised by Professor Guy Faulkner, a co-author of the review - analyzed over 26 years’ worth of research findings to discover that even low levels of physical activity (walking and gardening for 20-30 minutes a day) can ward off depression in people of all age groups.
Mammen’s findings come at a time when mental health experts want to expand their approach beyond treating depression with costly prescription medication.
“We need a prevention strategy now more than ever,” he says. “Our health system is taxed. We need to shift focus and look for ways to fend off depression from the start.”
Mammen acknowledges that other factors influence a person’s likelihood of experiencing depression, including their genetic makeup. But he says that the scope of research he assessed demonstrates that regardless of individual predispositions, there’s a clear take-away for everyone. “It’s definitely worth taking note that if you’re currently active, you should sustain it. If you’re not physically active, you should initiate the habit. This review shows promising evidence that the impact of being active goes far beyond the physical.”
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For information, contact:
Valerie Iancovich
Communications Specialist
Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education
University of Toronto
valerie.iancovich@utoronto.ca
Tel: 416-946-3713
George Mammen, PhD Candidate
Health & Exercise Psychology Unit
University of Toronto
george.mammen@mail.utoronto.ca
Tel: 416-978-2736
Written and revised by
Andrey Nailor, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
health.am provides general information, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional about your own health.
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