Study Regular endurance training with antidepressant effect

Prevent depression: endurance training is antidepressant
Depression has long been one of the most widespread diseases worldwide. They are usually treated with medication and psychotherapy. But also physical activities can help against the mental illness, because sport acts like antidepressants.

Best in daylight
It is well-known that the body is kept fit and healthy through regular exercise and can also lose weight. However, endurance training has another advantage: it helps to prevent depression. People who are at risk should, according to experts, train best in daylight.

Regular endurance training helps to prevent depression. Ideal is jogging, best in daylight. (Image: Kzenon / fotolia.com)

Sport against depression
According to the German Depressionshilfe, over five million people in Germany suffer from unipolar depression requiring treatment each year. These diseases are "among the most common and severely underestimated in terms of severity", the experts write on their website.

The treatment of depression is traditionally medications (antidepressants) and psychotherapy. Research has shown that sport helps against depression.

Moderate endurance training
So you can prevent the mental illness, for example, by slow jogging. And even people who are already affected - from a depressive mood, the winter blues (winter depression) or depression - can counteract with moderate endurance training, reports the news agency dpa.

Cora Weber, chief physician of the department of psychosomatic medicine at the Berlin Park Clinic Sophie Charlotte, said in the agency message: "We know from scientific studies that 30 to 45 minutes of endurance training helps against depressive symptoms three to four times a week."

According to the expert, the pulse rate should be around 120 beats per minute.

Drive away negative thoughts
According to the physician, jogging is so well suited because the person concerned is also in daylight.

"There is a nerve tract that transmits light from the eye directly into the brain," says Weber. As the psychotherapist explained, so hormones are released, which help to drive away the negative thoughts.

For those who can not jog for health reasons, the doctor recommends getting on the bike best. (Ad)