Millions of depressed Americans should consider running away from their problem -- or walking, swimming or dancing it away.
Recent studies show that exercise seems to be at least as effective as standard antidepressant medications in reducing symptoms in patients with major depression.
According to James Blumenthal, a professor of medical psychology at Duke University, other studies are beginning to suggest that solitary exercise, such as workouts at the gym or a daily jog, can be just as effective as group activities in beating the blues, and that "duration of exercise didn't seem to matter -- what seemed to matter most was whether people were exercising or not."
Blumenthal was lead author on a much-publicized study released five years ago that found that just 10 months of regular, moderate exercise outperformed a leading antidepressant (Zoloft) in easing symptoms in young adults diagnosed with moderate to severe depression.
And another study released earlier this year, by researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, found that 30-minute aerobic workouts done three to five times a week cut depressive symptoms by 50 percent in young adults.
According to Robert E. Thayer, a professor of psychology at California State University, Long Beach moderate exercise -- even a brisk 10-minute walk, for example -- results in a boosting of energy, although it may not be quite enough to relieve stress.
