Slightly exercise helps fight depression in people over 50 with chronic illnesses that always accompany depression, based on a brand new study.
Just 20 minutes of moderate activity a day, five days every week, can significantly reduce symptoms of depression in older adults with conditions similar to diabetes, heart disease and chronic pain, says the study published this week JAMA network opened.
Meanwhile, study participants without chronic illness had to interact in additional intense exercise over an extended time frame to attain improvement of their depressive symptoms, lead creator Eamon Laird of the University of Limerick in Ireland was quoted as saying CNN.
These people need two hours of moderate to vigorous exercise a day, Laird said.
What does “moderate” mean? Typically, these are exercises which can be so strenuous that speaking during exercise becomes difficult – similar to cycling, playing tennis, and brisk walking. Vigorous means running or other more intense exercise that increases respiration and heart rate.
“We are not advocating for a reduction in activity levels in any population group, but these results suggest that even lower doses than recommended may protect the mental health of older adults over time,” Laird said. “These doses may be more achievable because many older adults may have difficulty engaging in physical activity for a variety of reasons.”
The study examined information from greater than 4,000 participants within the Irish Longitudinal Study on Aging. The data was collected from October 2009 to December 2018 and analyzed last summer.
More time for training produced higher results, the study says. Two hours a day provided the best profit, with a 23% decrease in symptoms and a 49% decrease in major depression.
“The higher the dose of physical activity, the greater the mental health benefits for depression,” Laird said.