Exercise is probably the last thing on anyone’s mind when feeling under the weather, but a new study suggests that it could be a good way to treat or prevent depression.
A secondary analysis of data from several online databases by a PhD. candidate at the University of Toronto found this correlation, which largely corroborates previous research on a similar issue. The team sifted through data from Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, PsycINFO, PubMed and SPORTDiscus, for trials that conducted longitudinal (long term) examinations between physical activity and depression over time, and after getting 6363 such papers, perused through all this to come up with 30 studies that met their criteria. These longitudinal studies spanned 26 years of some of the volunteers’ lives.
25 of these studies showed that people who tended to engage in more regular physical activity were less likely to develop depression later on. These review showed that an activity as simple as gardening or walking for 150 minutes/week could be significant in fending off depression. 150 minutes of exercise a week for an adult is the minimum recommended time set by health ministries around the world.
A previous study using data from one of the several websites used by the University of Toronto found out after reviewing 39 trials that compared exercise to taking antidepressants or counseling, exercise exhibited moderate benefits in depressed individuals in 35 of these trials.
Similarly, a 2010 review suggested that a normal exercise regime should be maintained for people suffering from schizophrenia, a psychotic disorder in which the affected suffers varying degrees of mental disturbances. The main reason for this was that exercise had been found to result in improved mental states especially when compared to regular care.
However, a research by a University of London team seemed to throw rain on the parade by releasing a report early this year that showed exercise is not wholly effective against all population segments when battling depression. Their study focused on the very elderly, and found that for this segment of the population, exercise was totally ineffective.
Brainpower is improved by exercise, the body stays in great shape, and now you know it will help you fight depression; take a walk today, use the stairs, or just go out for a stroll. The benefits are just too many to ignore.
By Matengo Chwanya
Sources: media.utoronto/ alphagalileo/ sciencedaily/ sciencedaily/
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