Half an hour of exercise daily may lower the risks of depression later on in life, according to a recent study.
Researchers looked at 26 years' worth of data and found that people who exercise when they are young are less likely to become depressed as they got older. The researchers also looked at 30 previous studies and concluded that 25 of the 30 studies found a direct link between lack of activity and being diagnosed with depression later in life.
George Mammen, Ph.D, a candidate from the University of Toronto and co-author of the study said: "I'm active so I wasn't surprised to find this, but 25 out of 30 showed a significant effect and that was unexpected." The study which was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine recommends 20 to 30 minutes of daily activity such as walking or gardening.
"If you're not physically active, you should start. We usually think exercise in terms of weight and how we look, but it's also a way to maintain mental health far into the future. Depression affects around on in five elderly people in the UK alone, according to the Mental Health Foundation and women, more than men are more likely to suffer from it. People who are depressed are more susceptible to other types of conditions like dementia, Parkinson's disease, chronic pain and disability and may even suffer from stroke. More suicide attempts among people aged 65 and over are also at an all-time high according to the British Medical Journal. Although exercise has been used to treat depression, this research is the first of its kind to show that exercise can also prevent any condition from starting.
