Exercise as an AntidepressantExercise as an Antidepressant Regular physical activity can effectively combat depression, even outperforming prescription antidepressants. Studies indicate that engaging in moderate-intensity exercise for 30 minutes five days a week or 150 minutes overall can significantly reduce depression and anxiety symptoms compared to medication alone. Benefits of Low-to-Moderate Intensity Exercise While vigorous exercise may be daunting, even low-to-moderate activity can provide significant mental health benefits. An umbrella review found that regular physical activity, even at a low intensity, can alleviate depressive symptoms. This is particularly encouraging for individuals who may struggle with finding the motivation for high-intensity workouts. The Bidirectional Relationship Research has shown a reciprocal relationship between exercise and depression. Regular physical activity can reduce depressive symptoms, but depression can also hinder motivation to exercise. This creates a vicious cycle where depression worsens inactivity, exacerbating depressive symptoms. Long-Term Effects of Depression on Activity Levels A recent study followed participants over 25 years to examine the interplay between depression and physical activity. The findings revealed that depression had a greater impact on reducing physical activity than the antidepressant effects of exercise. This suggests that depressive symptoms can have long-lasting consequences for future activity levels. Staying Active for Depression Prevention Despite the challenges, it is crucial for individuals prone to depression to stay physically active. Regular daily exercise, even in small doses, can help prevent depressive episodes and keep depression at bay. By prioritizing physical activity, individuals can break the cycle of inactivity and improve their mental well-being. Conclusion Exercise is a drug-free alternative to antidepressants for managing depression. Even low-intensity activities, incorporated into daily routines, can make a substantial difference in reducing the risk of depression. By recognizing the long-term effects of depression on motivation, individuals can take proactive measures to stay active and prevent its negative consequences.
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Staying physically active can act as a drug-free antidepressant that offsets the risk of depression better than taking prescription medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) (Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro, etc.) to treat depressive symptoms, according to a 2023 review by other systematic reviews.
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“We found that 150 minutes a week of various types of physical activity, such as brisk walking, weight lifting and yoga, significantly reduces depression, anxiety and psychological distress, compared to usual care, such as medications,” said first author Ben Singh in a press release from February 2023.
This meta-analysis found that about 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity five days a week was associated with about 1.5 times better outcomes than taking pills to treat depression. That said, it’s often difficult for people experiencing debilitating depression to muster up enough motivation to stay physically active most days of the week.
Nevertheless, mounting evidence suggests that small doses of relatively easy physical activity can reduce the risk of future depression if done consistently day in and day out, week to week. A recent umbrella review published in March 2024 identified an evidence-based link between low-to-moderate intensity exercise on most days of the week and fewer depressive symptoms.
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In an April 2024 press release about this umbrella assessment, lead author Lee Smith said:
“The fact that even low to moderate levels of physical activity can be beneficial for mental health is particularly important, as these levels of activity may be more achievable for people who can make smaller changes to their lifestyle without feeling that they need to commit to a high-intensity exercise program.”
Chicken or the egg: does exercise make us happier, or do happy people exercise more?
As discussed above, numerous studies have shown that people who exercise regularly are less likely to be depressed and have fewer depressive symptoms. Still, the million-dollar question remains: Does exercising make people happier, or do people who feel happy exercise more consistently than people who feel sad and depressed?
When depression suppresses a person’s motivation to exercise, it can create a vicious cycle and downward spiral where depressive symptoms make a depressed person less able to tap into the antidepressant effects of exercise because they are not motivated to exercise . Then, the lack of exercise worsens their depressive symptoms and immobility, which can make depression worse and reduce happiness.
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A recently published, decades-long study (Soli Dubash, 2024) on the reciprocal relationship between exercise and depression shows how regular physical activity leads to fewer depressive symptoms and how having a major depressive episode reduces the motivation to exercise, which worsens depression. These bidirectional insights on the interplay between depressive symptoms and physical activity over 25 years were recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Mental health and physical activity.
This study followed a representative sample of 3,499 U.S. adults from 1986 to 2011. It focused on the enduring effects and baseline differences in physical activity levels and depressive symptoms. Soli Dubash also analyzed how past physical activity predicts future physical activity, how past depressive symptoms predict future depressive symptoms, and the stability of this relationship across adulthood.
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The biggest takeaway from this longitudinal study is that the immobilizing effects of depression appear to have long-term consequences for future levels of physical activity. In contrast, the antidepressant effects of physical activity are much shorter-lived.
The immobilizing effects of depression are long lasting
One of the main research questions of this study is: Does depression symptomatology have a greater substantial effect on physical activity, or vice versa? The findings from the 25-year study suggest that the symptomatology of depression is ultimately stronger and longer lasting than the antidepressant benefits of physical activity, which are short-lived.
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“This study suggests that depressive symptomatology (DSx) has a greater substantive effect on physical activity (PA), both cross-sectionally and over time,” Dubash writes in the article’s conclusion. This study also suggests that adults who develop the habit of exercising regularly earlier in life, during adolescence or young adulthood, tend to remain active as they age.
In particular, people who remained physically active daily had fewer depressive symptoms and better mood from week to week. Although being inactive did not always predict future depression, the likelihood that a person would become physically active in the future decreased significantly once symptoms of depression manifested.
Daily activity can help keep depression at bay
If you’re prone to depression, research shows that staying physically active can lower your risk of a debilitating depressive episode. But building habits and religiously sticking to a daily exercise routine week after week is the key to tapping into the prophylactic power of exercise to keep depression at bay.
Because the antidepressant effects of exercise are short-lived, you need daily doses of physical activity to keep depression at bay. On the other hand, the immobilizing effects of depression are like kryptonite and can sap your motivation to exercise, creating a vicious cycle of chronic inactivity and worsening depression.
Knowing that depressive symptoms are ultimately more powerful than the antidepressant effects of physical activity can be a source of motivation to make and maintain physical activity as part of your daily routine. By staying physically active most days of the week, it’s possible to outrun the long arm of depression and prevent its debilitating power from undermining your motivation to exercise.
When choosing physical activities that you are likely to continue long-term, look for things that you enjoy and that fit into your lifestyle. And if vigorous exercise is an overwhelmingly unpleasant experience or your schedule doesn’t allow for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week, remember that small doses of light activity throughout the day can make a big difference in reducing your risk of depression across the lifespan.
References
Soli Dubash. “The Interplay of Depression Symptoms and Physical Activity: Bidirectional Insights from 25 Years of Changing Life Panel of Americans.” Mental health and physical activity (First published: May 5, 2024) doi:10.1016/j.mhpa.2024.100599
Masoud Rahmati, San Lee, Dong Keon Yon, Seung Won Lee, Raphael Udeh, Mark McEvoy, Hans Oh, Laurie Butler, Helen Keyes, Yvonne Barnett, Ai Koyanagi, Jae Il Shin, Lee Smith. “Physical Activity and Prevention of Mental Complications: An Umbrella Review.” Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Assessments (First published: March 29, 2024) doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105641
Ben Singh, Timothy Olds, Rachel Curtis, Dorothea Dumuid, Rosa Virgara, Amanda Watson, Kimberley Szeto, Edward O’Connor, Ty Ferguson, Emily Eglitis, Aaron Miatke, Catherine EM Simpson, Carol Maher. “Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety, and distress: a summary of systematic reviews.” British Journal of Sports Medicine (First published: September 29, 2023) doi:10.1136/bjsports-2022-106195
