Anyone seeking help for depression or anxiety should try taking regular exercise, latest research suggests. In fact a recent study conducted by the American Medical Institute has found that keeping fit can be as beneficial to mental health as taking prescription drugs.
What did the Study Involve?
The study involved the testing of 100 subjects, all of whom were medically diagnosed as having severe depressive illness. Of these 100 people, 25 were given a course of anti-depressant tablets, 25 were given an exercise routine to do in a group environment three times a week, 25 were given an exercise routine to do three times a week on their own at home, and a control group of 25 were given neither anti-depressant tablets, nor an exercise schedule.
At the end of a 16-week period all the individuals were re-evaluated by mental health experts. It was found that the group taking the anti-depressant tablets and the two exercise groups were all improved to such a degree that they were no longer classed as being clinically depressed – only the control group which had been given no exercise regime nor tablets was still found to be depressed.
One interesting statistical difference was found between the two exercise groups – the group who exercised in a group setting were slightly more improved, in terms of recovery from depression, than those who exercised on their own. However, the evidence of this study strongly suggests that exercising in a group environment or on your own is as effective at combating depression as taking anti-depressant tablets.
Exercise Benefits Everyone
One does not have to be clinically or diagnostically depressed to reap the psychological benefits of regular exercise – a study carried out in the UK in 2008 and published on the UK NHS website, tested out the psychological effects of exercise on a group of ‘ordinary’ women. All the women who managed to stick to a prescribed regime of 3 exercise sessions a week reported feeling ‘happier’ than they had done when they had not been exercising. They commented specifically on things like having more energy, more confidence, a more positive body-image, and all reported that they felt less inclined to resort to ‘comfort-eating’ triggered by feelings of unhappiness.
Exercise Recommendation
If you suffer from depression or anxiety, health experts now strongly recommend that you take up some form of regular exercise. Of course, you should never stop taking prescription medication without discussing it first with a GP or specialist, but starting regular exercise, especially in a fun, supportive group atmosphere could well be a first step towards recovery.
Put very simply, exercise is a real prescription for happiness!