What is the Right Amount, Type and Length of Exercise For Those with Major Depression?

A new study examines what is the appropriate amount, type and length of physical activity for those suffering from major depression.

As exercise can be an effective treatment for managing depressive disorders, both when used alone and in combination with other treatments, researchers are hoping to determine what is best suited for those undergoing very difficult situations.

"Despite the substantial evidence supporting the use of exercise in the treatment of MDD, previous studies have not provided a clear indication of the proper dose of exercise needed to elicit an antidepressant effect," wrote Chad Rethorst, PhD, and Madhukar Trivedi, MD, of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, according to a press relase.

The authors of the study examined data from randomized controlled trials with the goal of developing specific and detailed recommendations for clinicians on what exercise habits would be right to prescribe patients.

Randomized trials have shown that exercise is effective in reducing depressive symptoms in patients with MDD, on its own and in conjunction with other treatments, such as antidepressant medication and/or psychotherapy. Exercise may help to meet the need for cost-effective and accessible alternative therapies for depressive disorders-particularly for the substantial number of patients who don't recover with currently available treatments.

Available data showed that aerobic exercise is the preferred form for most patients. However, some forms of resistance training are also good as well. For frequency and duration, researchers recommended that patients participate in three to five exercise sessions per week, for 45 to 60 minutes per session. It was also recommended that parcipants achieve a heart rate that is 50 to 85 percent of their maximum heart rate (HRmax). 

Data suggest that patients may experience improvement in depressive symptoms as little as four weeks after starting exercise. However, Drs Rethorst and Trivedi emphasize that the exercise program should be continued for at least ten to twelve weeks to achieve the greatest antidepressant effect.

Even if the depressed patient can't reach the target intensity and frequency levels, exercise can still be helpful. "Taken as a whole, these findings suggest that exercise doses below the current recommendations may still be beneficial for patients with MDD," Drs Rethorst and Trivedi add. "Therefore, clinicians should encourage patients to engage in at least some exercise, even if they do not exercise enough to meet current public health recommendations."

The findings for the study can be found in the May Journal of Psychiatric Practice®.