Mental health disorders are rising, affecting more than 970 million people worldwide. While lifestyle behaviors can be beneficial in treating these disorders, drugs are often the primary treatment choice. A recent review found that physical activity reduced symptoms of depression by as much as 43 percent.

Researchers conducted an umbrella review – an analysis that consolidates findings from multiple systematic reviews, providing a comprehensive overview of the existing evidence. Their analysis included 97 reviews, encompassing 1039 randomized controlled trials (128,119 participants) investigating the effects of physical activity on depression, anxiety, or psychological distress.

They found that various forms of physical activity, including walking, resistance training, Pilates, yoga, and others, reduced symptoms of depression by 43 percent and anxiety by 42 percent, eliciting faster effects than medication. They observed the most pronounced effects in people with depression, pregnant and postpartum women, healthy people, and those with HIV or kidney disease. For people with depression and anxiety, higher-intensity exercise involving bursts of short and mid-duration activities proved more effective than longer-duration exercises.

These findings demonstrate that physical activity has marked, beneficial effects on mood and may be an effective intervention for many people. The mechanisms that drive these effects likely include increased expression of neurotrophic factors, increased availability of serotonin and norepinephrine, regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and reduced systemic inflammation. Learn more about some of these mechanisms in this short video featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick.

• Read full publication.
• Learn more about depression in our overview article.
• Learn more about the beneficial effects of aerobic exercise in our overview article.