Does Exercise Improve Symptoms of Depression?

Exercise appears to be effective as a complement or alternative to medications and psychotherapy for treating patients with depression, but evidence about the comparative value of specific exercise modalities and intensities is limited. In a network meta-analysis, researchers reviewed 218 randomized controlled trials (14,000 participants) in which any form of exercise was compared with any other intervention in patients with major depressive disorder.

Compared with active controls (e.g., usual care, stretching, education, social support), all of the following yielded at least moderate improvement in depression: walking or jogging, yoga, exercise plus selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, strength training, mixed aerobic exercises, tai chi…