Exercise steps up as depression buster
By Bruce Bower
New evidence indicates that aerobic exercise, practiced either in a supervised group or alone at home, eases depression almost as well as a commonly prescribed antidepressant medication does.
Exercise achieved comparable results for patients with mild or moderate depression, says a team led by psychologist James A. Blumenthal of Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. The study excluded people with severe depression, which typically includes lethargy and a high risk of suicide.
Blumenthal’s group randomly assigned 202 depressed outpatients to one of four routines: supervised group-exercise sessions, a home-exercise program, antidepressant treatment with sertraline (Zoloft), or placebo-pill treatment.