Effect of exercise for depression

Systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

The review covers 218 studies conducted on a sample of 14,170 participants in order to identify the optimal dose and kind of physical exercise for the treatment of major depressive disorder, comparing them with psychotherapy and antidepressants. Physical exercise is an effective treatment for depression: walking or jogging, yoga and strength training are more effective than other exercises, especially if intense. Physical exercise proved to be equally effective for people with and without comorbidities and with different levels of underlying depression. These forms of physical exercise could be considered together with psychotherapy and antidepressants as basic treatments for depression.