exercise better than medication to treat mental health issues: study
for people dealing with mental health issues, daily exe...
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for people dealing with mental health issues, daily exercise appears to be a better option than medication.
according to researchers at the university of south australia, treating patients who are depressed with regular exercise like jogging is more effective than popping a pill.
the same benefits were also found for people experiencing anxiety and psychological distress.
one in every eight people around the world live with a mental disorder, according to the world health organization. using physical activity is an affordable treatment option for those who can’t access or can’t afford the medications.
published in the british journal of sports medicine, study authors selected 97 reviews which was based on 1,039 trials and 128,119 participants of healthy adults, people with mental health disorders and people with various chronic diseases.
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and the results were conclusive. the best outcomes were found with exercise regimens of 12 weeks or shorter.
“the largest benefits were seen in people with depression, hiv and kidney disease, in pregnant and postpartum women, and in healthy individuals,” the study authors said.
the higher intensity the exercise, the greater chance the symptoms improved, they added.
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any type of exercise is encouraged, according to the lead researcher.
“we also found that all types of physical activity and exercise were beneficial, including aerobic exercise such as walking, resistance training, pilates, and yoga,” dr. ben singh said in a release.
“importantly, the research shows that it doesn’t take much for exercise to make a positive change to your mental health.”
however, dr. singh laments the fact that exercise isn’t a more widespread option for mental health sufferers.
“physical activity is known to help improve mental health,” singh said. “yet, despite the evidence, it has not been widely adopted as a first-choice treatment.”
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