A new study that examined data from almost 34,000 people has found that as little as 1 hour of exercise each week, regardless of intensity, can help to prevent depression.
Depression is a very common disorder, affecting around 6.7 percent of adults in the United States per year. The economic burden of this disease was estimated to be $210.5 billion in 2010 alone. At a global level, the World Health Organization (WHO) calculate that more than300 million people live with the disorder.
Treatments for depression usually involve medication, psychotherapy, or cognitive behavioral therapy or a combination of these approaches.
Recently, Australia-based not-for-profit group Black Dog Institute, who offer support to people with mood disorders, launched a 1-month campaign encouraging people to exercise. They suggest on their website that regular physical activity can help to prevent and treat depression.
This is supported by research conducted by scientists from the Black Dog Institute in collaboration with colleagues from other institutions worldwide, including universities and health institutes from the United Kingdom, Australia, and Norway.
The study - led by Prof. Samuel Harvey, from the Black Dog Institute - analyzed data collected from 33,908 Norwegian adults who were followed over a period of 11 years.
As Prof. Harvey explains, "We've known for some time that exercise has a role to play in treating symptoms of depression, but this is the first time we have been able to quantify the preventive potential of physical activity in terms of reducing future levels of depression."
"These findings," he adds, "are exciting because they show that even relatively small amounts of exercise - from 1 hour per week - can deliver significant protection against depression."
The results were published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
