“The Power of Running: Using Exercise as a Treatment for Depression”

We already knew that running makes you feel better. After a stressful day, put on your running shoes and clear your head, wonderful! Research now shows that the power of running goes much further: regular walking can be a valuable part of the prevention and treatment of depression.

Depression: 1 in 5 will have to deal with it

We all know gloomy feelings. But depression goes a big step further. The negative feelings and thoughts are more intense and last longer. You can’t get ahead and things you used to be excited about no longer interest you, so you can no longer function well at work or in social situations.

Depression is the most common of all mental illnesses. In the Netherlands, nearly 20 percent of adults will experience depression at some point in their lives, women slightly more often than men. With mild complaints you can achieve a lot yourself, for example by moving more. For example, these runners use the sport to deal with mental complaints.

Do you or someone close to you suffer from depression and do you need personal help or advice? Contact (anonymously). MIND Correlation.

Running vs Antidepressants: Which Works Better?

Can running help against mild depressive feelings or is it better to go for antidepressants? Scientists from VU University Amsterdam and Tilburg University have investigated this question. 141 patients with depression and/or anxiety were guided for 16 weeks: one group took medication, the other group followed running therapy. They went running in groups at least twice a week. Both forms of treatment had similar effects on participants’ mental health. But: in terms of physical health, the group of runners had a clear advantage. Weight, waist circumference, blood pressure and heart rate have clearly improved in all participants of the running group as a result of regular training. The participants who took antidepressants actually deteriorated on all these points.

In short: running works (in some cases) just as well as antidepressants, but in addition to the positive influence on your mental health, it also offers many benefits for your physical health. This makes running a valuable part of therapy in many cases.

Any kind of exercise can help

If (predisposition to) depression runs in your family, you also have a higher risk that you will ever have to deal with it. But research also shows that your genes are not destiny: your lifestyle has a lot of influence on your mental health. For example, it appears that the risk of depression decreases by around 20% in people who are physically active for about 35 – 45 minutes a day. This includes any form of exercise: running, cycling, walking, yoga – the more exercise, the less likely you are to develop depression.

It’s not a panacea

Various studies show that running can not only improve your physical health, but also your mental health. We can only applaud you if you use movement to improve your life and health. Preventively and with mild complaints it is a fantastic first step. And yet running is not a panacea that will make all your problems disappear like snow in the sun. For people with major depression, running and exercise in general are an important part of therapy, one of several tools that can reinforce each other.

Do you or someone close to you suffer from depression and do you need personal help or advice? Contact (anonymously). MIND Correlation.