Already 15 minutes of activity and exercise help against depression

How can we protect ourselves from depression??

Physicians have now found some concrete evidence that even a little exercise a day reduces the symptoms of depression and elevates the overall mood.

The Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) scientists found in their current research that exercise and physical activity help against depression. The experts published the results of their study in the English-language journal "JAMA Psychiatry".

Sport makes you happy

Various studies have already found a connection between sports training and the reduction of the risk of depression. Exercises release endorphins and endorphins make you happy. So far, however, there was no evidence for a causal relationship in depression. It was unclear whether physical activity actually affected the condition or whether people with depression are simply exercising less. The researchers found that exercise is beneficial for people with depression and have found no evidence that depression interferes with exercise ability.

More and more people suffer from depression

The findings could help physicians, physicians and scientists develop prevention strategies for the growing numbers of people fighting depression symptoms. An increased activity seems to protect against the development of depression, study author Dr. Carmel Choi of the Massachusetts General Hospital. Any physical activity seems to be better than none, say the experts. The calculations suggest that replacing sitting with 15 minutes of more strenuous exercise such as running or one hour of moderately vigorous activity is sufficient to reduce the risk of depression.

What influence do our genes have??

Both depression and physical activity can be influenced by our genes, so the researchers focused on the genes in their study. Some people are naturally more athletic, others are more susceptible to depression, explain the physicians. Genomic data can stabilize this factor. This will determine if people with depression are simply less active or if they are not.

Which results were achieved?

For physical activity, the study yielded two data pools of results: 377,000 people reported their own physical activity, and 91,000 people carried so-called fitness trackers to monitor their movement. These collected data were compared to genetic testing. The evaluation showed that there was no correlation between self-reported activity and lower depression rates. On the other hand, the data analysis of the fitness trackers revealed that those who exercised regularly had fewer signs of depression. How can this difference be explained? Reminders of self-reported activity are not always accurate. In addition, many movements in everyday life, such as climbing stairs or the way to the subway, are not considered as a sporting activity by those affected. A fitness tracker also takes these activities into account.

How can people be motivated to do more physical activity??

It is one thing to know that physical activity can be beneficial for the prevention of depression. It's another thing to get people to be physically active, Choi explains. More work needs to be done to find out how the recommendations for increased activity are best tailored to different types of people with different risk profiles. The researchers are currently investigating whether and to what extent physical activity can benefit different risk groups, such as people who are genetically susceptible to depression or those who suffer and hope for stress. We hope to develop a better understanding of physical activity to promote resistance to depression, the study author adds. (As)