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ATLANTA – Getting moderate exercise for 20 minutes a day, five days a week, can significantly reduce the risk of depression-related symptoms such as diabetes, heart disease and chronic pain in people over 50, a new study finds.
People with diabetes are twice as likely to develop depression, says Diabetes UK, and a 2017 study found that heart disease patients are twice as likely to die if they experience depression after their diagnosis. According to a separate 2017 study, up to 85% of people with chronic pain experience severe depression.
People without chronic disease in the study, however, needed to do two hours of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day to see an improvement in depression symptoms, said study leader Eamonn Laird, a researcher at the University of Limerick’s Center for Physical Activity for Health Research, in Ireland.
Moderate exercise is typically defined as activity that “takes your breath away” so that it’s hard to tell when you’re doing it. Examples include brisk walking, cycling, dancing, playing tennis, or going up and down stairs. If the level of exercise is increased in intensity — such as running or jogging, the breathing is faster and the heart rate is higher — the duration of the exercise may decrease, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“What’s unique (about this study) is that it’s the first and largest investigation of a long-term cohort — with and without chronic disease — to try and test the minimum dose to look at differences in depression,” Laird said. .
“We do not advocate a reduction in activity levels in any population, but these findings suggest that even lower than recommended levels may protect mental health in older adults,” he added. “Many older adults have difficulty engaging in physical activity for a number of reasons, so these rates may be more achievable.”
A 10-year study
The study, published Monday in the journal JAMA Network Open, followed more than 4,000 Irish adults with an average age of 61 for 10 years. Participants who are part of the Irish Longitudinal Study on Aging are assessed every two years. They were asked about their physical activity and level of physical activity and were given tests to determine the number of depressive symptoms they had – if the symptoms were excessive, they were classified as having major depression.
“Examples of symptoms included: I had trouble staying focused on what I was doing; my sleep was restless; I felt like I couldn’t shake the blues even with the help of family and friends, etc.,” says Laird. In the email.
People who experienced major depression in the past 12 months were included in the major depression group. An episode is defined as a period of two weeks or more in which the individual experiences fatigue, sadness and hopelessness, lack of interest in movement or sleep problems, weight gain or loss, or suicidal thoughts.
Research has shown that the more people exercise, the better. People who exercised moderately for 20 minutes a day, five days a week, had 16 percent lower depressive symptoms and a 43 percent lower risk of major anxiety, compared to those who did not exercise, the study found.
People who exercised two hours a day benefited the most, with a 23 percent reduction in symptoms of depression and a 49 percent reduction in the risk of major depression, the study found.
“The higher the level of physical activity, the greater the mental health benefits for depression,” Larrid said.
Unfortunately, the overall rate of depression for the entire cohort rose from an average of 8% to 12% over 10 years, while the use of antidepressants increased from 6% to 10%. However, the amount of physical activity decreased by about 10% for the group during the study period.
Physical activity is amazing. Combine that with eating a plant-based diet, de-stressing, getting enough sleep, and connecting with others—that’s your magic formula. It’s the fountain of youth, if you will.
– Dr. Andrew Freeman
Reducing the risk of depression
The study’s findings aren’t surprising, Larrid said, pointing to previous studies showing a strong link between exercise and reducing depression. In the year A systematic review and meta-analysis published in 2022 found that 2.5 hours of brisk walking per week reduced symptoms of depression by 25 percent. The same study also found that doing half that can reduce the risk of depression by 18 percent.
Another large review published in February found that physical activity is 1.5 times more effective than antidepressants or cognitive behavioral therapy in reducing stress, anxiety and symptoms of mild to moderate depression, which is considered the gold standard treatment.
Exercising does more than just relieve depression, but it does more for one’s health. It keeps the body in tip-top condition, allowing it to function more efficiently and do a better job of preventing all kinds of diseases.
“Physical activity is amazing,” Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado, told CNN in an earlier interview.
“If you combine that with eating a plant-based diet, de-stressing, getting enough sleep and connecting with others — that’s your magic formula,” he adds. “It’s a fountain of youth if you want it.”
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