Training vs anxiety and depression
"A new meta-analysis of 26 randomized controlled studies found that both aerobic and resistance training significantly reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety, often rivaling standard treatments like medication and therapy. Although both modes were beneficial, aerobic exercise had a slightly greater impact on depression, while resistance training showed a modest edge for anxiety.
Why does it work? Exercise influences key biological systems, reducing inflammation, enhancing neuroplasticity through BDNF, and rerouting kynurenine metabolism to protect the brain from damage.
For those with depression or anxiety, movement is powerful medicine. And the dose needed might be smaller than you think. Many of the included studies didn't even meet the minimum weekly physical activity recommendations for aerobic or resistance exercise, and even then, reduced depressive and anxiety symptoms significantly.
(...)
Exercise had a large benefit for reducing depressive symptoms, and importantly, this didn't depend on the mode of exercise—both aerobic and resistance exercise reduced depressive symptoms. Aerobic exercise did have a numerically greater effect (a 1.6-point reduction in standardized depression scores) than resistance exercise (a 0.89-point reduction), but the difference between them wasn't statistically significant.
Exercise also helped moderately reduce anxiety symptoms, again with both aerobic (a 0.56-point reduction in standardized depression scores) and resistance exercise (a 0.83-point reduction) showing benefits. This time, resistance exercise had a numerically (but not statistically significant) advantage compared to aerobic exercise, hinting at its potentially greater effectiveness for anxiety outcomes.
(...)
The claim that "exercise cures depression" is a bold and controversial one.
That's because—despite observational studies showing a link between higher levels of physical activity and lower levels of depression—some argue that this is a classic case of reverse causality. Maybe it's not that physical activity fights depression per se, but rather, that more depressed people just exercise less.
(...)
However, two things can be true. Yes, depression creates a landscape less conducive to physical activity, but physical activity per se has also been causally linked to depression. Mendelian randomization studies show that people genetically inclined to be less active tend to have higher rates of depression, suggesting that physical inactivity isn't just associated with—but actually contributes to—depressive symptoms."
mentioned meta-analysis: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/inm.70054
source: foundmyfitness newsletter, can't find link to www
Why does it work? Exercise influences key biological systems, reducing inflammation, enhancing neuroplasticity through BDNF, and rerouting kynurenine metabolism to protect the brain from damage.
For those with depression or anxiety, movement is powerful medicine. And the dose needed might be smaller than you think. Many of the included studies didn't even meet the minimum weekly physical activity recommendations for aerobic or resistance exercise, and even then, reduced depressive and anxiety symptoms significantly.
(...)
Exercise had a large benefit for reducing depressive symptoms, and importantly, this didn't depend on the mode of exercise—both aerobic and resistance exercise reduced depressive symptoms. Aerobic exercise did have a numerically greater effect (a 1.6-point reduction in standardized depression scores) than resistance exercise (a 0.89-point reduction), but the difference between them wasn't statistically significant.
Exercise also helped moderately reduce anxiety symptoms, again with both aerobic (a 0.56-point reduction in standardized depression scores) and resistance exercise (a 0.83-point reduction) showing benefits. This time, resistance exercise had a numerically (but not statistically significant) advantage compared to aerobic exercise, hinting at its potentially greater effectiveness for anxiety outcomes.
(...)
The claim that "exercise cures depression" is a bold and controversial one.
That's because—despite observational studies showing a link between higher levels of physical activity and lower levels of depression—some argue that this is a classic case of reverse causality. Maybe it's not that physical activity fights depression per se, but rather, that more depressed people just exercise less.
(...)
However, two things can be true. Yes, depression creates a landscape less conducive to physical activity, but physical activity per se has also been causally linked to depression. Mendelian randomization studies show that people genetically inclined to be less active tend to have higher rates of depression, suggesting that physical inactivity isn't just associated with—but actually contributes to—depressive symptoms."
mentioned meta-analysis: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/inm.70054
source: foundmyfitness newsletter, can't find link to www