Depression is a leading cause of morbidity, disability and mortality affecting over 280 million people worldwide. In a review published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, researchers pooled data from 73 randomised controlled trials involving nearly 5,000 adults with depression.
The studies compared exercise with psychological therapies, antidepressants or no treatment.
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Overall, exercise showed a moderate benefit in reducing depressive symptoms compared with no treatment. Exercise was also found to be comparable to psychological therapy in easing symptoms of depression.
Light- to moderate-intensity exercise appeared to be more beneficial than vigorous exercise, and no single type of exercise proved superior. However, programmes that combined different forms of exercise, including resistance training, appeared more effective than aerobic exercise alone.
Five trials comparing physical activity with antidepressants suggested that exercise may be as effective as medication, although the evidence was limited and of low certainty. Long-term effects remain unclear, as few studies followed participants after treatment ended.
