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Antidepressant medications have been linked to many untoward side effects, including suicidal thoughts in adolescents, daytime sleepiness, insomnia, diarrhea, loss of libido, interference with orgasm, tremor, headache, and others (1). No wonder that many people who suffer from depression look for other ways to deal with their condition; no wonder that some depressed individuals turn to exercise, which has been shown to be as effective as pharmaceutical agents for some patients (2).
Systematic reviews of scientific literature demonstrate that regular exercise confers significant reductions in the symptoms that are associated with both depression and anxiety. These beneficial effects have been reported more commonly in adults than in adolescents, but high-quality studies have not yet been conducted in groups of young people.
As is the case with other medical conditions that improve with exercise, depression seems to respond better to high-intensity activity than it does to low-energy exercise. A weekly expenditure of at least 17.5 cal per kilogram of body weight (about 8 cal per pound) is required for significant improvement in depressive symptoms. However, in contrast to cardiovascular disease or hypertension – both of which respond best to aerobic conditioning – either aerobic exercise or resistance training seems to offer benefits for persons suffering from depression.
Exercise and Yoga Offer Hope for Depressed Patients
Scientists have discovered that the positive effects of exercise are the same whether depressed individuals participate in supervised group activities or unsupervised exercise in the home or gym. Thus, just about any type of activity would appear to be useful for alleviating depression – particularly if it expends a sufficient amount of energy.
Unfortunately, one of the primary symptoms shared by depressed persons is a lack of motivation; for such individuals, less vigorous activities that still conferred benefit would be ideal. Alas, clinical trials that have evaluated the antidepressant effects of low-intensity exercise demonstrate no significant improvement in symptoms among study subjects. For example, meditation, tai chi, and qigong – all more restful, “mind-based” forms of recreation that certainly confer their own benefits – do not appear to ameliorate the troubling symptoms that are typically reported by depressed persons (3).
Yoga and high-intensity exercise, on the other hand, have demonstrated their depression-fighting effects in multiple studies. For both anxiety and depression – conditions that share many of the same symptoms and which are often treated with similar medications – exercise and yoga compare favorably with conventional treatments, and both are viable alternatives to standard pharmaceutical and psychotherapeutic modalities.
If an individual is already taking a medication for depression, the addition of yoga or exercise to the therapeutic regimen will likely bring additional benefit, and the drug dosage can possibly be reduced. Depressed individuals who suffer from other medical conditions should consult their physicians before participating in strenuous activity.
Sources:
- Horsley L. Practice Guidelines: ACP guideline on second-generation antidepressants for depression treatment. Am Fam Physician. 2009;80(3):291-294
- Blumenthal JA, et al. Exercise and pharmacotherapy in the treatment of major depressive disorder. Psychosom Med. 2007;69(7):587-596
- Saeed S, Antonacci D, Bloch R. Exercise, yoga, and meditation for depressive and anxiety disorders. Am Fam Physician. 2010;81(8):981-986
Stephen Allen Christensen - Dr. Steve Christensen's writing has appeared in magazines, professional journals, poetry anthologies, and children's books since 1976.
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