1 Hour of Exercise May Be Enough to Prevent Depression

Regular leisure-time exercise, regardless of intensity, helps to protect against depression, but not from anxiety, according to the results of a recent study.

It has been suggested that exercise could have a protective effect against new-onset depression, but the required intensity and duration of exercise, as well as its effects on anxiety, are unclear.

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With this in mind, researchers conducted a study of 33,908 healthy adults with no symptoms of common mental disorders or limiting physical health conditions. The participants were followed for 11 years.
 

Overall, they found that regular leisure-time exercise was associated with a reduction in the incidence of new-onset depression, but not anxiety, with the majority of this effect occurring at low levels of exercise at any intensity. Assuming the relationship is causal, the researchers estimated that 12% of future depression cases could have been prevented if all participants had engaged in at least 1 hour of exercise per week.

“Regular leisure-time exercise of any intensity provides protection against future depression but not anxiety. Relatively modest changes in population levels of exercise may have important public mental health benefits and prevent a substantial number of new cases of depression,” the researchers concluded.

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Harvey SB, Øverland S, Hatch SL, et al. Exercise and the prevention of depression: results of the HUNT cohort study. AJP. 2018;175(1):28-36.