Exercise 'can be as effective for depression as psychotherapies'

EXERCISE may be just as good at treating depression as psychological therapies and possibly even antidepressants, a study suggests.

- JANE KIRBY

> Exercise may be just as good at treating depression

(Tim Goode/PA)

A review of 73 studies from researchers at the University of Lancashire found exercise may have a moderate benefit on reducing symptoms of depression when compared with no treatment or a placebo.

Exercise was also just as beneficial as psychological therapies, based on evidence from 10 clinical trials.

It was also comparable to antidepressants, though researchers warned this evidence was limited and of low certainty.

Any long-term benefits were also unclear as most studies only followed people up for the duration of the treatment in the study.

Professor Andrew Clegg, lead author of the Cochrane review, said: "Our findings suggest that exercise appears to be a safe and accessible option for helping to manage symptoms of depression.