how does aerobic exercise compare with antidepressants in the treatment of depression

Here’s the most important thing I learned while writing a book on running and mental health: In clinical studies, regular aerobic exercise is as effective as antidepressants in reducing symptoms of mild to moderate depression. And that’s not just because moving might help you get into shape and feel better about yourself.

Full Answer

Do antidepressants and exercise work together to treat depression?

On the other hand, two systematic reviews comparing antidepressants to other therapies – including exercise– as a basis for clinical practice guidelines for depression, disregarded exercise in their recommendations.

Does aerobic exercise improve depression in women with major depressive disorder?

Aerobic exercise as add-on therapy significantly improved depression. The proportion of patients with a clinical response was larger for the aerobic exercise group Pilu et al., 2007 MDD Treatment-resistant women

Why is exercise not considered a viable treatment option for depression?

It is unclear why exercise was disregarded as a viable choice for treating depression in the clinical practice guidelines recommended in the two recent reviews (Gartlehner et al., 2016; Qaseem et al., 2016). Is there a reluctance among academics and health care practitioners to view exercise as medicine?

What is exercising exercises for depression?

Exercise supports nerve cell growth in the hippocampus, improving nerve cell connections, which helps relieve depression," explains Dr. Miller. Depression manifests physically by causing disturbed sleep, reduced energy, appetite changes, body aches, and increased pain perception, all of which can result in less motivation to exercise.

How does physical exercise compare with antidepressant drugs in the treatment of depression?

The results showed that: as compared to no treatment or a control group, exercise may have a moderately beneficial effect on symptoms of depression; and as compared to pharmacological treatment or psychological therapy, no differences were in evidence (conclusions based on very few studies).

Does exercise work as well as antidepressants?

Exercise is as effective as antidepressants in some cases. However, pills aren't the only solution. Research shows that exercise is also an effective treatment. "For some people it works as well as antidepressants, although exercise alone isn't enough for someone with severe depression," says Dr.

How does aerobic exercise affect depression?

Aerobic exercise was associated with moderate to large reductions in depression scores: standardised mean difference (SMD) −0.79 (95% confidence interval [CI] −1.01 to −0.57). SMD of 0.8 and above means that the treatment had a moderate-to-large effect. Studies were similar enough for the analysis to be robust.

Why is exercise a good alternative to antidepressants?

Exercise. Research suggests that regular exercise may be a more effective treatment for mild depression than antidepressants. Exercise helps boost levels of chemicals called serotonin and dopamine in the brain, which can lift your mood.

How much exercise is equivalent to antidepressant?

The study, published in the journal Depression and Anxiety, finds “a significantly large overall antidepressant effect” at an average of 45 minutes of aerobic exercise at moderate intensity, three times per week, for fewer than 10 weeks.

Is exercise better than therapy?

"Mental health professionals might think exercise may be a good complement [to other therapies], and that may be true," says Blumenthal. "But there's very limited data that suggests combining exercise with another treatment is better than the treatment or the exercise alone."

Is aerobic or anaerobic better for depression?

The results showed that in both aerobic and anaerobic groups the mean score of depression, anxiety, stress and happiness improved after treatment. However, the improve in the mean score of anxiety, stress and happiness was more apparent in the anaerobic group.

What kind of exercise is best for depression?

Exercise doesn't have to be strenuous to help ease depression. Any type of activity you can do is likely to boost your mood and increase your energy level. So whether you walk around the block, go for a run, or join a yoga or dance class, chances are exercise will make you feel better.

Does aerobic exercise help anxiety?

Scientists have found that regular participation in aerobic exercise has been shown to decrease overall levels of tension, elevate and stabilize mood, improve sleep, and improve self-esteem. About five minutes of aerobic exercise can begin to stimulate anti-anxiety effects.

Is exercise better than medication for anxiety?

For example, in one study of 8098 adults (34), individuals exercising “regularly” had a reduced risk of being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder compared to their sedentary counterparts (odds ratios [OR] from 0.64 to 0.78 for exercisers).

Why is depression associated with low physical activity?

The reason depression may be associated with low physical activity is that people feel too lousy to get out of bed. What we need is an interventional study, where you take people who already have depression, and randomize them into an exercise intervention and see if they get better. And that’s what we got.

Why did the exercise group get better?

Maybe the only reason the exercise group got better is because they were forced to get out of bed, interact with people —maybe it was the social stimulation, and had nothing to do with the actual exercise.

Does exercise help with ADHD?

Exercise can also help with ADHD ( Treating ADHD Without Stimulants) and improve immunity ( Preserving Immune Function in Athletes With Nutritional Yeast ), not to mention extend our lives ( Longer Life Within Walking Distance ). But what we eat matters: Paleo Diets May Negate Benefits of Exercise.

Does exercise work as well as drugs?

Before you could definitively say that exercise can work just as well as drugs, what you’d like to see is the same study but with an additional group, the same two plus a home exercise group, where they were just told to exercise on their own at home, no extra social interaction.

Is aerobic exercise good for depression?

They conclude that an exercise training program may be considered an alternative to antidepressants for treatment of depression in older persons, given that they’ve shown that a group program of aerobic exercise is a fe asible and effective treatment for depression, at least for older people. Not so fast, though.

Does physical activity cause depression?

Well, we know physical activity has been associated with decreased symptoms of depression. For example, if you look at a cross-section of 8,000 people across the country, those who exercised regularly were less likely to have a major depression diagnosis.

Does exercise help with depression?

Putting all the best studies together, the evidence indicates that exercise, at least, has a moderate antidepressant effect, and at best, exercise has a large effect on reductions in depression symptoms and could be categorized as a very useful and powerful intervention.

What is aerobic exercise?

Aerobic exercise varied from walking, jogging, running or swimming to using cardiovascular gym equipment such as step machines and stationary bicycles.

How many people in England have depression?

Depression is a common disorder, affecting around 10% of adults in England in 2017–18, amounting to about 4.5 million people. Almost a quarter of a million new cases are diagnosed each year. Exercise has long been recognised as beneficial for physical health, but its effects in supporting mental health are less clear.

Is aerobic exercise considered a psychological intervention?

Exercise is already recommended as a low-intensity psychological intervention in national guidance. Though the review only included 11 trials of 455 adults, ...

Does exercise help with depression?

One systematic review suggested that exercise may reduce depressive symptoms in new mothers. A 2013 Cochrane review of exercise in depression found 39 trials of exercise in 2,326 people with depression. Overall, exercise was beneficial for depression compared with no treatment or other control intervention.

How to help people with depression?

One of the treatments included in the new guidelines is regular exercise. Studies dating back to 1981 concluded that exercise can improve mood in people suffering from mild to moderate depression, and may even serve to help those suffering from severe depression.

Does exercise help with mood?

Well, we know that exercise causes your body to release endorphins -- those "good" chemicals that circulate throughout the body. These guys are great -- they do so many good things for us! In addition to improving natural immunity and reducing the perception of pain, they also serve to improve mood.

Is exercise better than antidepressants?

Exercise: More Effective Than Antidepressants? Studies dating back to 1981 concluded that exercise can improve mood in people suffering from mild to moderate depression, and may even serve to help those suffering from severe depression . By.

How does depression manifest physically?

Depression manifests physically by causing disturbed sleep, reduced energy, appetite changes, body aches, and increased pain perception, all of which can result in less motivation to exercise. It's a hard cycle to break, but Dr. Miller says getting up and moving just a little bit will help.

Why is exercise good for you?

Exercising starts a biological cascade of events that results in many health benefits, such as protecting against heart disease and diabetes, improving sleep, and lowering blood pressure. High-intensity exercise releases the body's feel-good chemicals called endorphins, resulting in the "runner's high" that joggers report. But for most of us, the real value is in low-intensity exercise sustained over time. That kind of activity spurs the release of proteins called neurotrophic or growth factors, which cause nerve cells to grow and make new connections. The improvement in brain function makes you feel better. "In people who are depressed, neuroscientists have noticed that the hippocampus in the brain—the region that helps regulate mood—is smaller. Exercise supports nerve cell growth in the hippocampus, improving nerve cell connections, which helps relieve depression," explains Dr. Miller.

Is exercise as effective as antidepressants?

Exercise is as effective as antidepressants in some cases. One in 10 adults in the United States struggles with depression, and antidepressant medications are a common way to treat the condition. However, pills aren't the only solution. Research shows that exercise is also an effective treatment. "For some people it works as well as ...

Does low intensity exercise make you feel better?

The improvement in brain function makes you feel better.

Does exercise help with depression?

"In people who are depressed, neuroscientists have noticed that the hippocampus in the brain—the region that helps regulate mood—is smaller. Exercise supports nerve cell growth in the hippocampus, improving nerve cell connections, which helps relieve depression," explains Dr. Miller.

Why Was This Study needed?

What Did This Study do?

What Did It find?

What Does Current Guidance Say on This Issue?

What Are The Implications?

Citation and Funding

Bibliography