20 minutes of daily exercise may lower risk of depression

New research has found that moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) for 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week, can reduce depressive symptoms (depression) and reduce the incidence of major depressive disorder. Scientists at the University of Limerick, in collaboration with Trinity College Dublin, have found that those at risk of depression, which is increasingly common among older people, could benefit from a little daily exercise.

In this study, researchers set out to determine the minimum amount of physical activity needed to prevent depression, and the impact of chronic disease on the findings. Eamon Laird, the study's lead author and a postdoctoral researcher in Harvard's Department of Physical Education and Exercise Science, said: "There is no question of how much physical activity protects against depression in general, or in the presence of the disease. There is no consensus on how this differs between adults." University of Limerick: "In this work we used 10-year data from the Irish Longitudinal Study of Aging, which included depression, MVPA and other health-related variables such as disease, lifestyle factors, and socioeconomic status."

The study, published Monday in the journal JAMA Network Open, is the first and largest study of people over 50 with conditions often associated with depression, including diabetes, heart disease and chronic pain. According to CNN, these individuals benefited from just 20 minutes of physical activity, such as brisk walking or cycling.

According to the findings, key findings include that approximately 20 minutes of MVPA per day (such as brisk walking five days per week) was associated with a 16% reduction in the incidence of depressive symptoms and a 43% reduction in the incidence of major depressive disorder. When study participants exercised for 120 minutes a day, the risk of depressive symptoms was reduced by 23 percent and the risk of major depression was reduced by 49 percent. The findings were the same for older adults with and without chronic disease.

Laird said in a university news release that this study is remarkable because of the high prevalence of depression in our adult population. Try to do 20 minutes of moderate-intensity activity at least 5 days a week, which can prevent depression and reduce major depression. The more exercise, the better the effect, without exceeding the overall healthy exercise recommended by the World Health Organization.

"Try building it into a routine of hobbies or activities you enjoy, and try to do it with other people, because social interaction, especially activities, can also be good for mental health," he says. "Remember, it's just one component of it." In part, nutrition and a healthy lifestyle provide additional benefits in addition to physical activity."

"Physical activity is absolutely fantastic," Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at the National Jewish Health Center in Denver, Colorado, told CNN. The combination of connection with others—that’s your magic secret. It’s your fountain of youth, if you will.”

(Compilation: Ye Daren)

(Editor in charge: Jiang Qiming)

(Source of the article: New Sancai first release)