Simple ways of reducing mild/moderate depression
Researchers may have discovered a new “drug” for depression, that almost anyone can take advantage of and practice Exercise
In a study, which involved 80 adults aged 20 to 45 years who were diagnosed with mild to moderate depression, researchers looked at exercise alone to treat the condition and found:
- Depressive symptoms were cut almost in half in those individuals who participated in 30-minute aerobic exercise sessions, three to five times a week after 12 weeks
- Those who exercised with low-intensity for three and five days a week showed a 30 percent reduction in symptoms
- Participants who did stretching flexibility exercises 15 to 20 minutes three days a week averaged a 29 percent decline
The results of this study are similar to that of other studies, which involved patients with mild or moderate depression being treated with antidepressants or cognitive therapy — proving patients need not rely on drugs to treat depression.
American Journal of Preventive Medicine January 2005;28(1):1-8 (Free Full-Text Article)
Medical News Today January 24, 2005.