2023-10-10 09:54:31
A woman does sports outdoors (Getty Images)
Science has for years supported the beneficial effects of regular exercise to combat anxiety or depression, the most common treatments of which include a combination of psychotherapy and psychotropic drugs such as antidepressants. However, a new study has concluded that going for a run might be more beneficial to physical health for people suffering from anxiety or depression than taking these medications.
Scientists at the Amsterdam University Medical Center (VUMC) have examined the physical and mental conditions of two groups of patients with anxiety or depression for several weeks and concluded that doing this type of exercise for at least two days per week had the same effect on mental health as taking antidepressants, but more positive effects on physical health than taking these psychotropic drugs.
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Researchers followed two groups of people with anxiety and/or depression for 16 weeks. Participants were free to choose whether they wanted to take antidepressants (escitalopram or sertraline) during this period or follow group running therapy twice a week. Of the 141 people who participated in this small study, 96 participants chose the exercise option, while 45 received escitalopram or sertraline, two antidepressants known for their ‘mood-elevating’ function.
After the observation period, the scientists examined the mental and physical health of the participants, including their current diagnosis status, symptom severity, metabolic and immune indicators, heart rate, body weight, lung function, and strength. bodily. The results showed that the effects on mental health were very similar, but those people who ran twice a week obtained greater benefits in physical health such as weight loss, improvement in heart rate and blood pressure, among others. others.
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These people enjoy a running session, an exercise that promotes a healthy life and health care. Regular practice contributes to longevity and well-being (Illustrative image Infobae)
The advantages of incorporating exercise into your daily routine are multiple for both mental health and physical health. Several studies have shown that practicing different types of exercise regularly reduces stress, inflammation and helps regulate metabolism.
On the other hand, some research has concluded that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which include antidepressants such as citalopram, escitalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine and sertraline, might contribute to increased body weight and inflammatory levels in the body. However, more evidence is still needed to reach definitive conclusions.
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