The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on mental health. Recent surveys show that nearly a quarter of adults in the United States currently report symptoms of depression, more than doubling pre-pandemic levels.
You’ve likely seen this with friends, family, or colleagues. You might have even experienced it yourself. I’ve certainly noticed the stress of the pandemic weighting on me and several of my clients.
The good news is that moderate intensity aerobic exercise has been shown to be an effective way for preventing and relieving depression. Although not the end-all-be-all to treating depression and reaching out to a mental health professional is highly encouraged, 30 to 45 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise 3 to 5 days a week can help significantly.
Effects of exercise on depression
Scientific studies have consistently shown that exercise has antidepressant effects. A review that analyzed data from 49 studies found that people with higher levels of physical activity had a 17% lower odds of depression than people with lower levels of physical activity. Another review found that low cardiorespiratory fitness, a sign of physical inactivity, was associated with a 64% higher risk of depression.
Now I know some of you may not be convinced by these studies that exercise has antidepressant effects. It’s reasonable to believe that what the results of these studies actually show are that depressed people exercise less.
However, one study with over 60,000 participants showed that replacing sedentary behavior with moderate-to-vigorous activity in people with depression lowered depression symptoms significantly more than compared to either sleep or light activity.
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