Exercise, just like medicines, can ease depression symptoms – Study

Scientists say exercise may ease depression symptoms just as effectively as therapy and possibly even antidepressants, with few side effects and broad accessibility in mental health care.

They found that exercise may have a moderate effect in reducing symptoms of depression when compared with no treatment or a placebo.

An updated Cochrane review suggests that physical activity can reduce depression symptoms at a level similar to psychological therapy.

In the review, when exercise was compared with antidepressant medication, the benefits also appeared comparable, although researchers noted that the supporting evidence in this case was less certain.

Researchers at the University of Lancashire found that light to moderate intensity activity may provide more benefit than vigorous exercise. Greater improvements in depression symptoms were linked to completing between 13 and 36 exercise sessions.

ALSO READ: Sugary drinks increase risk of heart disease in children —Expert

No single type of exercise clearly stood out as the most effective. However, programmes that combined different forms of activity and resistance training appeared to outperform aerobic exercise alone.

Depression is one of the leading causes of poor health and disability worldwide, affecting more than 280 million people. Exercise is inexpensive, widely accessible, and linked to many physical health benefits, making it an increasingly attractive option for both patients and healthcare providers.

The review, conducted by researchers at the University of Lancashire, analysed 73 randomised controlled trials involving nearly 5,000 adults living with depression.

Across these studies, exercise was compared with no treatment or control approaches, as well as with established treatments such as psychological therapy and antidepressant medication.

Overall, the analysis found that exercise led to moderate improvements in depression symptoms when compared with no treatment or control interventions. When exercise was compared with psychological therapy, both approaches produced similar reductions in symptoms, based on moderate-certainty evidence from ten trials.

Comparisons with antidepressant medication also suggested similar effects, but the available evidence was limited and considered low certainty. Few studies followed participants after treatment ended, so long-term outcomes remain unclear.

The review indicated that side effects were uncommon across the studies. Some people assigned to exercise experienced muscle or joint injuries, while participants taking antidepressants reported typical medication-related effects such as fatigue and gastrointestinal problems.

Professor Andrew Clegg, lead author of the review, explained that although the findings suggest exercise appears to be a safe and accessible option for managing symptoms of depression, it may not work well for everyone, so finding approaches that individuals are willing and able to maintain is important.

He added, “Exercise can help people with depression, but if we want to find which types work best, for whom, and whether the benefits last over time, we still need larger, high-quality studies. One large, well-conducted trial is much better than numerous poor-quality small trials with limited numbers of participants in each.”