Written by Fatima Yasser
Saturday, March 18, 2023 03:00 AM
University of South Australia researchers call exercise a primary approach to managing obesity Depression And mental health, as a new study showed that physical activity is 1.5 times more effective than counseling or medication, according to the “medicalxpress-” website.
Published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the review includes 97 reviews, 1,039 trials and 128,119 participants. Physical activity is shown to be very beneficial for improving symptoms of depression, anxiety, and distress.
The review showed that exercise interventions of 12 weeks or less were most effective in reducing mental health symptoms, highlighting the speed with which physical activity can make a difference.
The greatest benefits are seen among depressed people, pregnant and postpartum women, healthy individuals, and people with HIV or kidney disease.
According to the World Health Organization, one in eight people worldwide (970 million people) suffer from a mental disorder. Poor mental health costs the global economy around $2.5 trillion annually, a cost that is expected to rise to $6 trillion by 2030. In Australia, it is estimated that one in five people (between the ages of 16 and 85) has suffered from a mental disorder in the past 12 months.
Principal researcher at UniSA, Dr. Ben Singh, says physical activity should be prioritized to better manage the increasing incidence of mental health conditions.
“Physical activity is known to help improve mental health. However, despite the evidence, it has not been widely adopted as a first-choice treatment,” says Dr. Singh. Our review shows that physical activity interventions can significantly reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety in all clinical populations, with some groups showing greater signs of improvement.
High-intensity exercise had greater improvements for depression and anxiety, while longer periods had smaller effects when compared to short and medium-duration bursts.
“We also found that all types of physical activity and exercise were beneficial, including aerobic exercises such as walking, resistance training, Pilates, and yoga.
“Most importantly, the research shows that it doesn’t take much exercise to make a positive change in your mental health.”
The lead researcher, Professor Carol Maher of UniSA, says the study is the first to assess the effects of all types of physical activity on depression, anxiety and mental distress in the entire adult population. Examining these studies as a whole is an effective way for clinicians to easily understand the body of evidence supporting physical activity in the management of mental health disorders.