Exercise Helps Relieve Depression
Many studies have shown that not only does exercise improve depression, but it also significantly boosts the mood of those who are not depressed.
In one study, researchers found that adults who participated in a three-month rigorous exercise program experienced improvement in depressive symptoms about as great as they would have experienced had they received antidepressant medication.
Other studies have found exercise also to be associated with a significant decline in panic disorder, post-traumatic stress and other anxiety disorders.
Experts believe that exercise’s mood-boosting effects are partly due to a rise in levels of mood-enhancing neurotransmitters, such as endorphins, in the brain.
The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults, who can physically tolerate exercise, get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. This can be done in 30-minute sessions, five days a week.
Read more about the “18 Reasons to Exercise” from Bay Area Medical Information
SOURCES: Jeremy Sibold, Ed.D., certified athletic trainer and assistant professor, rehabilitation and movement science, University of Vermont, Burlington; Jennifer Mears, exercise physiologist and corporate fitness specialist, Colorado Springs, Colo.; presentation, May 27, 2009, 56th annual meeting, American College of Sports Medicine, Seattle
Source: Harvard Mental Health Newsletter
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