GOLDEN, CO — We all know the many benefits of exercise when it comes to heart disease and high blood pressure, but exercise may be quite the “drug” for mental health, too.
A new study in the January issue of the American Journal of Preventative Medicine found that exercising 30 minutes a day, for three to five times a week was as effective as antidepressant drugs and cognitive therapy in reducing mild to moderate depression in adults age 20 to 45.
Eighty participants were randomly placed into five groups with different exercise levels. Those who exercised 30 minutes three to five times a week had a 50 percent drop in depression, and those at lower levels dropped 30 percent.
So, the next time a member or client is feeling down, remind them to get moving — it may be just what the doctor ordered.