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Can Exercise Alleviate Depression? By Judi Sheppard Missett CEO of Jazzercise, Inc.

Five years ago, I was writing about the successful use of exercise in treating mild to moderate depression, but new research indicates that exercise may even be as helpful as drugs in reducing or eliminating symptoms in clinically depressed individuals.

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., split 150 participants, all suffering from a major depressive disorder, into three groups. The first group took antidepression medication; the second participated in a group exercise session for 45 minutes three times a week; and the final group was prescribed both medicine and exercise.

At the conclusion of four months, 60 percent to 70 percent of the participants in each group experienced a significant drop in their symptoms of depression, indicating that each approach had a fair degree of success. When researchers revisited the participants six months later, however, the participants in the exercise-only group were faring best.

Forty percent of the individuals on medication-only had relapsed, with 30 percent of the medication-and-exercise group experiencing a similar fate. In contrast, only 10 percent of the exercise-only participants relapsed.

Theories about the results of this study vary, but it is known that exercise stimulates neurotransmitter activity, specifically norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin, which elevate mood.

Some experts also hypothesize that exercise provides a distraction and release from stress, and that it gives participants a sense of control, as well as a means of social interaction, both of which have a positive impact on depression. While the results of the study don't prove that exercise alone relieves depression, it certainly opens the door for new treatments that include regular physical activity.

Low-intensity activities, such as walking, are a good starting point. Not only are they easier to undertake, especially for previously inactive patients, there is a greater likelihood of adherence.

Likewise, the chosen activity should be fun. Individuals should try a variety of activities and identify a few that they enjoy, and it never hurts to add a group workout to your schedule for the social benefits it provides.

(c) 2001, Jazzercise Inc., Los Angeles Times Syndicate

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Millions of us suffer from depression.

-- Anonymous, June 25, 2001