Duke University researchers have discovered that exercise is as effective as pharmaceuticals at relieving the symptoms of depression.

The study tracked 156 older patients who were broken into three groups. One group did thirty minutes of exercise three times a week, another group was given anti-depression medication and one group both exercised and took medication. After 16 weeks, the group that exercised showed as much reduction in symptoms as those either of the other two groups.

The patients were followed for an additional six months and it was discovered that those who continued exercising had a much lower chance of having the depression return than those who did not.

“The important conclusion is that the effectiveness of exercise seems to persist over time, and that patients who respond well to exercise and maintain their exercise have a much smaller risk of relapsing,” said lead researcher, Duke psychologist James Blumenthal, who published the results of his team’s study in the October issue of the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.

(Source)