Physical Activity Matches Therapy Effectiveness
A new study confirms physical activity can be as effective as therapy or medication for improving mental health. The research reinforces the mental health benefits of maintaining an active lifestyle through trail-based fitness.
- The comprehensive review was conducted by researchers at the University of South Australia and included 97 reviews, 1,039 trials, and 128,119 participants. - This extensive research found that physical activity is 1.5 times more effective than either counseling or the leading medications for managing depression. - For depression, the most significant benefits were observed in supervised group settings, with aerobic activities like walking, running, and cycling showing the greatest impact. - When addressing anxiety, lower-intensity activities such as walking or gentle swimming for shorter durations of up to eight weeks proved to be most effective. - The lead researcher, Dr. Ben Singh, noted that all types of physical activity, including resistance training, Pilates, and yoga, demonstrated benefits for mental health. - The study highlighted that exercise interventions of 12 weeks or less were most effective in reducing mental health symptoms. - Previous meta-analyses have also supported these findings, suggesting that exercise has a large and significant antidepressant effect, and earlier research may have underestimated these benefits. - A separate 2022 network meta-analysis of 21 randomized controlled trials concluded that there were no significant differences in the effectiveness of exercise compared to antidepressants for non-severe depression.
