We all know that exercise has many benefits for our body. It prevents and improves blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis and heart problems. But did you know that exercise also helps to lower the risk of depression ?
Depression is usually treated with medication and psychological interventions.
But researchers have found that exercise therapy improves mental health in patients with major depression.
The effect of exercise can be compared to taking antidepressant medication and doing physiotherapy !
This is very encouraging. ?
A word of caution: I am not a medical professional. I am not giving any medical advice . I am just writing my views. I highly recommend seeking a medical professional .
Now let’s see how much physical activity is needed to lower the risk of depression .
- Exercise for a minimum 2.5 hours a week
Research has confirmed that you only need to do mild exercise, something like brisk walking, to improve depression by a whooping 25 % . This means that working out for 30 minutes for five days a week will significantly lower depression.
- Exercise for 1.25 hours a week
Sometimes life happens and you aren’t able to exercise. Well that’s ok. Because even if you exercise for 30 minutes, three days a week, the depression goes down by 18 % .
Final thoughts ?
Exercise is very good for you. A little goes a long way. Exercising for half an hour a day can help lower your depression. Walking around the block, biking, gardening, using a stationary bike regularly, is very helpful to keep your depression manageable.
The scientific evidence is clear that exercise significantly reduces depression and anxiety.
Johann Hari
BY
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