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Exercise can relieve depression - even at lower doses than you’d think

Even a little bit of exercise — far less than official recommendations — can substantially prevent depression in adults, according to a large study published June 1 in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.

Two women run along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in April 2021.
Two women run along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in April 2021.Read moreJOSE F. MORENO / Staff Photographer
    by Katherine Dahlsgaard, For The Inquirer
    Published 

Even a little bit of exercise — far less than official recommendations — can substantially prevent depression in adults, according to a large study published June 1 in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.

Both the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially recommend 150 to 300 minutes of moderate exercise (fast walks) or 75-150 minutes of vigorous exercise (jogging, swimming, basketball) weekly for adults.

These numbers have been generated from scientific study and are the “dose” amount that appears to reliably reduce risk for all sorts of maladies, from heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers to mental-health problems such as depression and anxiety.

But these official recommendations, even at their low end, translate in “real person time” to five 30-minute brisk walks each week or five 15-minute vigorous jogs weekly.

And that’s a lot of weekly exercise for already chronically stressed and busy adults, particularly if they have been inactive for a long time.

That’s a lot of us. About 80% of American adults are not getting the minimum recommended weekly allowance of exercise and are considered insufficiently active. The problem appears to be worse in women than men.

That’s why the results of this JAMA Psychiatry study are so compelling.

The study — a meta-analysis that combined results of several already-published studies of exercise and depression prevention — is the first to analyze just how many minutes of weekly exercise successfully prevent depression.

Results showed that those who achieved the recommended minimum of 150 minutes of moderate (or 75 minutes of vigorous) had a 25% reduced risk of depression. But even those who exercised half that much experienced an 18% reduced risk of depression. And the results were particularly noticeable for those who were completely inactive versus those who were only exercising a minimum amount.

That’s good news for people who want to enjoy the better mental health that flows from regular exercise, but find those WHO/CDC guidelines intimidating or unrealistic.

For those wanting to make the lifestyle change to regular exercise: Good behavioral change is hard, but chronic, needless misery is even harder. Here are some strategies that will really make a difference:

  1. Go for habit over hardship. In the beginning, focus on establishing an easy habit you can build on, rather than a too ambitious goal of exercise duration or intensity.

  2. Aim low to start. Example: Commit to 10 minutes of walking rather than 30. Tell yourself you can always walk longer than 10 minutes if you feel like it, but never less.

  3. Don’t be fussy or fancy. You can walk 10 minutes in pretty much any shoes and any clothes. You don’t need special equipment or perfect conditions — just go with the imperfect and get it over with

  4. Put exercise on your daily schedule. To make it easier to remember, try to schedule your exercise during a set time you could repeat several times a week, such as immediately before your morning shower or on your lunch break.

  5. Give yourself a daily time limit. If your life just doesn’t allow for scheduled exercise, set a general “by this time each day …” rule. Such as, “It doesn’t matter when I do it, but by 8 pm each night I will have completed my daily walk.”

  6. Create a joyful experience. Pair your exercise with something else that you already know makes you happy. If you like music, pick your happiest jams for your walk. If you like listening to audiobooks or podcasts, pick a really interesting one that you will listen to only while walking.

  7. Prioritize exercise the way you would any medicine in your mind. Think of exercise as a medical prescription. Or your daily therapy. Something crucial for your mental health and therefore non-negotiable.

  8. Never give up. If you skip a day or a week or a month, forgive yourself instantly and then get walking. And revisit strategy #3.

Katherine K. Dahlsgaard, PhD, ABPP, is a licensed psychologist and is board certified in behavioral and cognitive psychology. www.katherinedahlsgaard.com