An analysis of 49 studies involving more than 266,000 people suggests that physical activity can protect against the emergence of depression.
“If you look across the world there is consistent evidence that physical activity has the capacity to prevent the onset of depression, not for everybody. But disproportionately, higher activity leads to lower risk of depression,” says Dr. Benjamin Goldstein, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Sunny Brook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. “That’s true across different continents, for men and for women, for old and young.”
Dr. Benjamin Goldstein says exercise affects a number of systems in the brain and in the body.
So far, no particular activity has been shown to be more effective than another at staving off depression.
Ideas about effects of exercise
It’s not known why this is, but Goldstein has some theories. “One of the interesting things about exercise is that it has a lot of effects. Biologically, it affects a number of systems in the brain and in the body. Psychologically, it leads to direct benefits in terms of boosts of energy, in good feelings and it also leaves us satisfied after the fact that we’ve done something good.
“And finally, it can influence the types of decisions we make about things we do in our life and people we spend time with. And when you bring all of those things together, I think it explains why there’s such a consistent benefit for exercise.”
Goldstein says physical activity can also be beneficial for those who have major depression, but it’s less likely that this will be sufficient to reduce their depression entirely. It would more likely be an add-on to psychological/talking-based therapy or medication.
Choosing an activity you enjoy will make exercise easier to sustain, says psychiatrist.
Do something you enjoy, suggests psychiatrist
More study could eventually determine what kind of activity is effective for what kind of people. In the meantime, Goldstein suggest people think about duration of exercise and what activity brings them enjoyment, since that would help them engage in something they would be more likely to sustain. There is no evidence that one type of activity is better than another at staving off depression.
It’s not about your weight
Goldstein understands it may be difficult for people to find the motivation to exercise. Those who are depressed may have feelings of futility and low energy. There are outside barriers to such as expectations about the purpose of exercise. He tells people to reduce the emphasis on weight loss and rather think of exercise as a long-term investment in health and something that has near-term benefits for their emotional well-being.
Canadians have become more sedentary, spending more time with TV and electronic devices and using vehicles for transportation. The Public Health Agency of Canada says that in 2013, just over 1 in five adults and 1 in 10 children and youth met the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines.
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