“There have been hundreds of research trials examining the effects of physical activity (PA) on depression, anxiety and psychological distress, many of which suggest that PA may have similar effects to psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy (and with numerous advantages over psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy, in terms of cost, side-effects and ancillary health benefits). Despite the evidence for the benefits of PA, it has not been widely adopted therapeutically.”

“Physical activity is highly beneficial for improving symptoms of depression, anxiety and distress across a wide range of adult populations, including the general population, people with diagnosed mental health disorders and people with chronic disease. Physical activity should be a mainstay approach in the management of depression, anxiety and psychological distress.”

“The results suggest no difference between exercise and pharmacological interventions in reducing depressive symptoms in adults with non-severe depression. These findings support the adoption of exercise as an alternative or adjuvant treatment for non-severe depression in adults.”

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Exercise is not a treatment for depression and anxiety, exercise addresses a primary cause of depression and anxiety – exercise deficiency! Your brain and body and mind REQUIRE daily exercise in order to genetically express healthy function, healthy moods, healthy attitudes, and resilience to the stress of life.

The main difference between exercise and antidepressant and/or anti-anxiety drugs is that drugs never address the cause, their effectiveness wears off over time, they are addictive, and they cause severe side effects – including suicidal thoughts, aggression, weight gain, lowered sex drive just to name a few.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

Please do not wait to become depressed or anxious before implementing a daily exercise routine. Daily exercise not only resolves depression and anxiety, it PREVENTS IT!

Exercise also improves your physical health and is FAR BETTER THAN ANY DRUG in terms of preventing every other chronic illness including cancer, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, digestive disorders, sleep disorders, and sexual dysfunction. Exercise also improves immune function and reduces or eliminates chronic pain – AND IT’S FREE!!

References:

Recchi et al. (2022) Comparative effectiveness of exercise, antidepressants and their combination in treating non-severe depression. Br. J Sports Med; 56:1375-1380

Singh et al. Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety, and distress. Br J Sports Med 2023;0:1–10. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2022-106195