Exercise can ease depression as well as medication
What they found
For adults with major depression, four months of aerobic exercise relieved symptoms about as well as a standard antidepressant - and clearly better than a placebo pill.
How they know
202 adults with major depression were randomly assigned to supervised exercise, home exercise, the drug sertraline, or placebo, then assessed for remission after 16 weeks.
What it means for you
Movement is not a soft alternative - here it stood shoulder to shoulder with medication. Even so, treating depression is a decision to make with a doctor, not alone.
The limits
One trial, 202 people, moderate depression; exercise is not a substitute for professional care, and sticking with it is the hard part.
This is a short takeaway in our own words, not a reproduction of the study. For the method, the sample and the caveats, read the original. Mind lives inside the Booking Minds app under the brain icon, where you can save and share each piece.