Depressed? Aerobic exercises can help as an antidepressant

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Supervised aerobic exercises have important effects on the antidepressant treatment of patients with major depression, according to a badysis of randomized controlled clinical trials.

The study, published in the journal Depression and Anxiety, showed a significantly greater overall antidepressant effect than antidepressants and / or psychological therapies.

"Together, this study found that supervised aerobic exercise can significantly support the treatment of major depression in the treatment of mental disorders." Health services, "said lead author Ioannis D. Morres from the University of Thessaly in Greece.
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For the study, the research team involved 455 adults from 11 eligible patients aged 18 to 65 years and presenting with major depression as a primary disorder.
Supervised aerobic exercise was performed on average for 45 minutes, at a moderate intensity, three times a week and for 9.2 weeks.

The purpose of this meta-badysis was to examine the antidepressant effects of aerobic exercise versus non-exercise.

Subgroup badyzes revealed comparable effects for aerobic exercise in various contexts and modes of delivery, both in outpatients and patients, regardless of the severity of symptoms, the team said. .

Overall antidepressant effects among trials with lower risk of bias, as well as significant antidepressant effects among trials with short-term interventions (up to four weeks) and trials involving preferences for Exercise, they noted.