Exercise More Effective than Medicine at Treating Depression

 

 

Researchers at the University of South Australia (UniSA) are calling for exercise to be a mainstay approach for managing depression as their new study shows that physical activity is 1.5 times more effective than counselling or the leading antidepressant medications.

 

Published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the UniSA (I guess USA is taken) review is the most comprehensive to date, encompassing 97 reviews, 1039 trials and 128,119 participants. It shows that physical activity is extremely beneficial for improving symptoms of depression, anxiety, and distress.

 

The review showed that exercise interventions that were 12 weeks or shorter were the most effective at reducing mental health symptoms, highlighting the speed at which physical activity can make a change. 

 

 

The greatest benefits were seen among people with depression, pregnant and postpartum women, healthy individuals, and people diagnosed with HIV or kidney disease.

 

According to the World Health Organization, one in every eight people worldwide (that’s over 970 million people) live with a mental disorder. Poor mental health costs the world economy approximately RM11.2 trillion each year, a cost projected to rise to RM27 trillion by 2030. In Malaysia, an estimated one in three people have experienced a mental disorder since 2020. 

 

The Ministry of Health in Malaysia said that mental health conditions are expected to be the second biggest health problem affecting Malaysians after heart diseases in this coming decade. A national survey by the Ministry of Health found that over 29.2 percent of adults aged 16 years and above have a mental health condition, which is nearly triple from 11.2 percent in 2006. The states of Sabah, Kelantan, Kuala Lumpur and Sarawak have the highest prevalence of mental health conditions.

 

Lead UniSA researcher, Dr Ben Singh, says physical activity must be prioritised to better manage the growing cases of mental health conditions. 

 

 

“Physical activity is known to help improve mental health. Yet despite the evidence, it has not been widely adopted as a first-choice treatment,” Dr Singh says.

 

“Our review shows that physical activity interventions can significantly reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety in all clinical populations, with some groups showing even greater signs of improvement.

 

“Higher intensity exercise had greater improvements for depression and anxiety, while longer durations had smaller effects when compared to short and mid-duration bursts.

 

“We also found that all types of physical activity and exercise were beneficial, including aerobic exercise such as walking, resistance training, Pilates, and yoga.

 

“Importantly, the research shows that it doesn’t take much for exercise to make a positive change to your mental health.”

 

Senior researcher Prof Carol Maher, says the study is the first to evaluate the effects of all types of physical activity on depression, anxiety, and psychological distress in all adult populations.

 

“Examining these studies as a whole is an effective way for clinicians to easily understand the body of evidence that supports physical activity in managing mental health disorders.

 

“We hope this review will underscore the need for physical activity, including structured exercise interventions, as a mainstay approach for managing depression and anxiety.”

 

So what are you waiting for? 

 

Isn’t it about time for you to get out there and beat depression in one of our outdoor events? 

 

There are tons of opportunities you can seize upon riding the wave of event popularity. Join us at Howei today if you’re keen to start your own journey. 

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Howei. Any content provided by our bloggers or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything.

 

Source: UniSA