Research has long shown that exercise can help ease depression, and new research published in JAMA Psychiatry indicates it may prevent it as well. In an analysis of research over a three-year period, adults who exercised even half the recommended weekly amount lowered their risk of depression by 18 percent, while those that exercised at recommended levels reduced their depression risk by 25 percent.

Why? Exercise is an effective mental health treatment because it “sparks the brain’s release of endorphins, sometimes referred to as feel-good hormones.” It has profound mind-body benefits, helping to “quiet the mind, quelling the cycle of negative thoughts that often accompany depression, and can help reduce stress, improve sleep and boost self-esteem.”

When you are depressed, exercise may feel like the last thing you feel like doing – or feel capable of doing. But any physical activity, even far below recommended guidelines – getting out and taking a walk in nature – can help bring much-needed relief. And now research has shown that if you’re on the verge of depression, it just might prevent it.

Read the research at JAMA Psychiatry here.

Read the Washington Post article here.

Holmes, Bob. “Exercising Even Half the Recommended Amount Can Prevent Depression.” The Washington Post, 24 Apr 2022, https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/04/24/exercise-depression/?utm_campaign=KHN:%20Daily%20Health%20Policy%20Report&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=211006348&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_IYVHcRwj5I16DQY-cwj_X6NJ2cwjAHVEnSCy3uN9Ne9W72WIFaK422CXUfCRtsRf2q5SbZWKXo4p0cdGr8uchTheCSxleHxevqRpHolFOB11IvSI&utm_content=211006348&utm_source=hs_email

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