Exercise and Depression – What helps?

I recently did some research regarding exercise and depression. Here are some in my opinion amazing results I found:

(If you rahter want to watch the video. Here it is: Exercise and Depression )

People often think they are depressed because of their weight, but oftentimes it’s the other way round. Overweight can actually be one of the consequences of depression. A constant feeling of loneliness, sadness, inner emptiness, and lack of motivation may cause people to start over eating or binge eating. This habit serves as a temporary relief of the symptoms but in the end causes even more problems.
Although depression is a topic people like to keep silent about, it is – according to the WHO (World Health Organization) – the second most disease after cardiovascular diseases.
The triggers for the above mentioned symptoms of depressions can be as diverse as the symptoms themselves. A recent break up, the death of a loved one, unemployment, or stress in general , just to mention a few.

But what helps to fight depression? The most favorite remedies against depression are antidepressants. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced in 2007 that the number of prescriptions for antidepressants reached 118 million!! Given the fact that the total of all prescriptions was at around 2.5 billion at that time, that is a hell of a lot! (1).
Here is a fun fact: Not only may antidepressants cause weight gain (and therefore lead to more depressions). Although the most commonly prescribed medicine when it comes to depressions they are apparently not the best one!
A study conducted at the Duke University in Durham, North Carolina in 2000 tested the effect of exercise on depressions. A subject group of 156 middle aged patients performed 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three times per week. Researchers found that the symptoms of depression decreased drastically after four months into the program. Another test six months later – that means 10 months after the beginning of the program – showed that only 8% of those who continued with the exercise program suffered from a relapse into depression. On the other hand 38% of those who took medication against depression relapsed. That means “the effectiveness of exercise seems to persist over time” (2).
But wait! You don’t have to exercise for 4 months till you see and feel the first results. A study at the Freie Universitaet Berlin, Germany showed that after just ten days of regular exercise, in this case 30 minutes of interval training on a treadmill per day, the depressions in half of the subject group decreased. (3).This means exercise might actually help faster than antidepressants. An improvement in mood can be found as soon as ten minutes after beginning physical activity! (4)
Other benefits of fitness training and physical activity are better stress resistance, less anxiety, higher self-esteem, and better concentration.

Sources for Exercise and Depression – What helps?:
(1) Elizabeth Cohen, www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/07/09/antidepressants/index.html
(2) James Blumenthal, www.psychosomaticmedicine.org/content/62/5/633.full.pdf+html
(3) Dimeo, F., Bauer, M., Vaharam, I., Proest, G., Halter, U. (2001). Benefits from aerobic exercise in patients with major depression: a pilot study. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 35 (2), 114-7.
(4) Hansen, C.J., Stevens, L.C., Coast, JR. (2000). Exercise duration and mood state: How much is enough to feel better? Health Psychology, 20 (4), 267-75