The study published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal in 2018 says that exercising for 45 minutes three to five times a week was associated with the greatest benefits.
Depression affects 5% of the world’s adult population and is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, says the World Health Organization (WHO). “More than 700,000 people die by suicide each year. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15-29 year olds,” says the world health agency.
Common symptoms of depression are: sadness, irritability, lack of interest in activities, poor concentration, excessive guilt or low self-esteem, hopelessness, suicidal thoughts, interrupted sleep, changes in appetite or weight, and feeling especially tired or with little energy. , mood swings and fatigue.
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More exercise is not always better, says the study.
The study included all types of physical activity, from child care, housework, mowing the lawn and fishing to bicycling, going to the gym, running and skiing.
“Exercise is associated with a lower mental health burden in people regardless of age, race, gender, family income, and level of education. Interestingly, details of the regimen, such as type, duration, and frequency, played a role.” important role in this. Now we’re using this to test and personalize exercise recommendations and match people with a specific exercise regimen that helps improve their mental health,” said Dr. Adam Chekroud, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University from Yale and chief scientist at Spring Health, USA told Science Daily.
For the research, the authors used data from 1.2 million adults in the US in 2011, 2013, and 2015. Participants were asked to rate their mental health in the past 30 days and how often they performed exercises of the same duration.
“On average, participants experienced 3.4 days of poor mental health each month.
Compared with people who reported no exercise, people who exercised reported 1.5 fewer days of poor mental health each month, a 43.2% reduction (2.0 days for people who exercised vs. .4 days for people who didn’t exercise),” the study found.
For the study, the researchers used 75 different types of exercise, and the strongest mental health link was found with team sports, cycling, aerobics, and gymnastics. “Even completing household chores was associated with improvement (reduced days of poor mental health by about 10%, or about half a day less each month),” the study says.
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