Research Shows Exercise Helps Kick Depression

What’s better for treating depression Zoloft or exercise? James A. Blumenthal, a professor of psychology at Duke University wondered about that, and conducted some research to find out. The L.A. Times reports that Blumenthal divided 202 patients into four groups. After 16 weeks, 47 percent of the people
who took the antidepressant Zoloft improved. But some 45 percent of those who
exercised in supervised groups improved, and 40 percent of those who exercised
on their own improved, a statistically insignificant difference from
the drug group result. About 30 percent of those in the placebo group
improved, a finding consistent with the placebo effect.
The paper reports that Blumenthal speculates that exercise may increase endorphin or serotonin levels, so-called feel-good brain chemicals.
Read more in the L.A. Times.
Read an abstract of the research in Psychosomatic Medicine.