Exercise May Help Relieve Depression

In news that won’t surprise a few of Geezer’s friends who for years have been working out regularly as much for their heads as for their bodies, research conducted at the University of Texas in Austin suggests that just 30 minutes of exercise can significantly boost the mood of patients with a major depressive disorder. MedPage Today reports on the study, which looked at 15 men and 25 women. The subjects, who received no other treatment, were randomly assigned to either exercise or sit quietly two weeks after their diagnosis of a major depressive disorder. MedPage reports that, compared with sitting quietly undisturbed for a half-hour, walking up
to 70 percent of age-predicted maximum heart rate for 30 minutes significantly
improved patients’ vigor and sense of well-being. Read more about how a little bit of exercise may stave off depression.