Exercise can help fight depression in the elderly: study

Washington D.C .: Here is another reason to add physical exercise to your daily routine. According to a recent study, exercise can help fight depression by stimulating the mood stimulants generated by the muscles.

According to research, the underlying mechanisms that make us feel good when we exercise persist in old age and emphasize the importance of staying active.

"An earlier study had demonstrated these mechanisms in healthy young adults, but it was impossible to determine whether the muscle deterioration that accompanies aging would prevent older adults from obtaining similar benefits to those induced by the disease." This could have important implications for the use of exercise a preventive strategy for depression in the elderly, "said David Allison, lead author of the published study. in the American Journal of Physiology.

Muscle loss is a common problem in the elderly, which can restrict this pathway and thus increase the risk of mental depression, says Allison.

For the study, a group of healthy men, aged 65 and over, followed a high intensity training protocol on a stationary bike for 12 weeks, once a week, combined with weight training sessions. bimonthly.

The researchers badyzed blood samples and muscle changes and determined that three months of exercise were enough to improve gene expression in skeletal muscle.

The lead researchers in the study suggested that even people who are already metabolically healthy – with a healthy weight, blood pressure and blood glucose – should prioritize regular physical activity to maintain or improve their health. mental.