Exercise Helps Resolve Depression Long Term

Depression is a very common and serious health problem in the United States. This is verified by the fact that the medication that is most prescribed in the U.S. is an anti-depressant. The National Institutes of Health sponsored a study by Duke University to study the effects of regular exercise on depression. Their first study was on a group of people with clinical depression. Half were randomly assigned to normal medical therapy and medication for depression. The other half were assigned to a regular physical activity program. After 16 weeks, both groups were evaluated. The exercisers improved just as much as those receiving medication. In addition, the exercisers saw improvements in mental function that those on medication didn’t experience. More...