Walk away from depression

Exercise and depression research has demonstrated that exercise helps depression quickly.

One exercise and depression study showed that the improvement in mood begins just ten minutes after you start exercising. Mood was found to continue to get better for up to twenty minutes.

Another exercise and depression study found depression had improved after participants had walked on a treadmill for thirty minutes a day for only ten days. Antidepressant medication usually takes at least two to three weeks to begin improving mood.

More lasting change in mood was found to have occured after study participants exercised for just two to three weeks.

What this fact sheet covers:

Evidence for the benefits of exercise in managing depression
How does exercise help depression?
Role of exercise in treating depression
Other benefits of exercise
Exercise recommendations
Getting started and where to get help

Evidence for the benefits of exercise in managing depression

Regular exercise can be an effective way to relieve some forms of depression and is
often a neglected strategy for treatment of depression.

Numerous studies have shown that people who exercise regularly experience fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety than those who do not exercise regularly.

Several trials have shown that regular exercise of moderate intensity can be an effective treatment by itself for mild to moderate depression.

Two trials have found that 16 weeks of regular exercise is equally effective as an SSRI antidepressant medication in the treatment of mild to moderate depression in older adults who have been inactive.

Research also suggests that exercise can further assist depression in individuals with depression who have responded only partially to an antidepressant medication.

Both aerobic exercise (e.g. brisk walking, cycling or jogging) and resistance or strength training (e.g. weight-lifting) have been found to be beneficial for depression.

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How does exercise help depression?

Research suggests that regular exercise may increase levels of serotonin in the brain.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter involved in mood, sleep, libido, appetite and other functions, and has been linked to depression.

Exercise may also increase endorphins, which are chemicals in the brain with 'mood-lifting' properties.