The estimated 280 million people worldwide who suffer from depression could have a treatment option that is not only cheaper than therapy and anti-depressants, but that also makes them fitter and stronger.
That’s according to researchers from Britain’s University of Lancashire, who have concluded that exercise has “a similar effect on depressive symptoms” to therapy, following an examination of 73 randomised control trials involving around 5,000 patients.
Moderate-intensity exercise appears to be the best option for patients who want to use working out as a substitute for therapists or medications.
“Our findings suggest that exercise appears to be a safe and accessible option for helping to manage symptoms of depression,” said study lead author and health services researcher Prof Dr Andrew Clegg.
But the rigour needed depends in turn on the patient’s level of fitness.
“This suggests that exercise works well for some people, but not for everyone, and finding approaches that individuals are willing and able to maintain is important,” he added.
The mental health benefits of exercise have already been extensively demonstrated by research, leading to calls for walking, jogging, yoga and strength training to be considered alongside psychotherapy and antidepressants as treatments for depression.
The trials were less conclusive when it came to comparing exercise with medication, but the team found getting fitter to have a “similar effect” to antidepressants.
Not all of those who are diagnosed as depressive opt for medication or therapy, but it appears such cases could do worse than hit the gym or go for a run.
Exercise has at least a “moderate impact” on symptoms “compared with no treatment or a control intervention”, the researchers noted in the paper published by the Cochrane Review on Jan 8 (2026).
Whether fitness works long-term remains difficult to assess, however, as there is little by way of data to analyse. – dpa
