Iris Cole interviews Dr. Oren Tana about depression and its treatment / Walla system
Many studies from recent years have found that physical activity is effective against depression.
But there are certain activities that are much more effective.
In a systematic review and meta-analysis recently published in the British Medical Journal, researchers determined which physical activity is most effective in combating major depressive disorder (MDD), compared to antidepressants, psychotherapy and control interventions.
Millions of people worldwide suffer from major depressive disorder (MDD), which significantly affects the general feeling of those affected by the disease and their satisfaction with life.
Major depression is also characterized by persistent sadness, hopelessness, irritability, guilt, loss of interest in hobbies, fatigue, decreased concentration, difficulty sleeping or oversleeping, change in appetite, thoughts of death, and in extreme cases - suicide attempts lasting at least two weeks.
In some cases, major depression may even worsen comorbidities.
Despite the availability of many mental health treatments, the potential resistance from sufferers and the limited access to these treatments highlight the urgent need for other evidence-based interventions.
The recommendations vary from country to country.
Exercise to reduce depression/ShutterStock
Although physical activity is proposed as a potential addition or alternative to traditional treatments for depression, and is even supported by international guidelines, the recommendations regarding the type and dosage of activity vary from country to country, from one health organization to another.
The various guidelines offer varied approaches, such as group training programs, aerobic or resistance training, or a combination of both.
But to this day there is no clear recommendation regarding the type of physical activity that is better in cases of depression, and the dose of activity that will help the situation.
A new study published in the prestigious journal BMJ found that activities such as walking, running, yoga, strength training, dancing, mixed aerobic exercises, tai chi and qigong - reduced depression symptoms independently or in combination with therapy and medication.
But four of these activities were found to be more effective than the others: walking or running, yoga and strength training are the top four exercises for reducing depression, although the differences in effectiveness between them were marginal.
However, yoga, in particular, was found to be the type of activity that reduced the level of depression the most, compared to the other physical activities studied.
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The most effective activity of all - dancing, but there is an asterisk
In fact, there was another physical activity that was found to improve the state of depression more than any other activity - dancing.
However, when weighing data from all the studies that were reviewed, it was found that the rate of those who retire from dancing is particularly high, which caused the researchers not to place this activity among those leading to reducing major depression.
The researchers also noted that the more intense the activity, the more effective it was.
In addition, yoga and strength training were the easiest exercises to perform.
This means that the exercises can be performed comfortably without experiencing significant discomfort or pain.
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