Exercise should be a “core treatment” for people with depression, academics have said, after a new study suggested that some forms of exercise were just as good as therapy and even better than anti-depressants.
Walking, jogging, yoga and strength training appeared to be more effective than other types of exercises, according to a major new analysis.
And the more vigorous the exercise, the better, according to a research team led by academics in Australia.
But even low intensity exercises such as walking and yoga had meaningful benefit.
The effect of exercise appeared superior to antidepressants, according to the study which has been published in The BMJ.
But when exercise was combined with antidepressants, this improved the effect of the drugs.
In my years of depression, I was also in peak fitness. Like, hours of cardio a day level of fitness. Maybe it helped (I sure couldn’t tell, but I would probably have been worse without it), and I imagine it helps a lot of people. But a lot of these reductive headlines are going to encourage the “just go outside or something” crowd to be even more dismissive of people with depression. Or people will see “core treatment” and think “instant cure treatment”.