Is Exercise Better Than Drugs For Depression And Anxiety?

You may be surprised at the findings!

A new large analysis of meta-studies found that exercise was 1.5 times more beneficial for reducing mild-moderate depression and anxiety symptoms over medications or therapy.

The study showed that while all forms of exercise provided significant mental and physical health benefits, shorter more high intensity exercise had the greatest effects.

The study even showed that people with depression, those newly diagnosed with kidney disease or HIV, and pregnant women had the greatest mental health benefits. But of course, exercise is beneficial for EVERYONE!

According to nearly 100 meta-reviews of randomized controlled trials, physical activity really should be first line therapy for anyone suffering with anxiety or depression symptoms.

And you don’t have to commit to hours and hours at the gym to receive the benefits either.

The study actually found that briefer exercise programs provided more benefits than long, strenuous programs. In fact, the benefits actually decreased the longer the duration of the program was.

So keep it relatively short and sweet! 🙂

If you are new to exercise, than start with just 15-20 minutes and slowly build from there. As your endurance and strength increases, you should increase your exercise intensity a little bit.

Anxiety and Depression Is a worldwide problem

According to the WHO, almost a billion people globally are living with some sort of mental health disorder, with anxiety and depression being the most common ones.

“Roughly 301 million people have an anxiety disorder, and this figure includes 58 million children and adolescents. There were 280 million individuals living with depression.”

Medical News Daily

And these statistics are from 2019, so that number has increased a significant amount over the past 3 years! Locking people in their homes and having a ticking death counter on the TV at all times was hugely harmful to most people.

What happened during covid will have lasting effects on peoples mental health for decades.

That is why is it SO important to develop some kind of exercise and wellness routine and to make sure you go outside and get some sun.

I truly believe that healthcare workers should work alongside trainers, coaches, and nutritionists to help their patients. We need to stop relying on medications alone.

We need to stop slapping a Band-Aid on these symptoms with medications and actually get to the root cause.

Sometimes you are depressed ONLY because you are not getting enough sunlight and exercise.

For thousands of years we roamed the earth and stayed outside in the sun for the majority of the day. Now there are millions of us who hardly ever see the sun, and who definitely do not exercise; especially if you work long hours in the winter, you could be going to work in the dark and then going back home in the dark.

Our bodies and our minds can’t handle that, and the anxiety and depression symptoms are your bodies way of screaming out that they need something.

By ignoring those symptoms, and just starting a medication right away, you are not solving the REAL issue.

You might feel better for a little while on the medications, but they also come with many, many side effects and the potential to be on them for life.

Do you really want to take a medication every single day or your life until you die? A medication that causes side effects. A medication that can cause you to gain weight. A medication that can cause impotence and decrease your libido. A medication that can even cause suicidal thoughts!

That is why I think it is SO important to try lifestyle changes first, like exercise and diet changes, and only then go to medications when those two things fail.

We really do have a mental health crisis in this country, and we all need to do our part to decrease those statistics.

The next time you feel a little depressed or anxious, why don’t you roll out your yoga mat and try a short session? Or maybe go for a walk outside? Or go for a bike ride or a run?

If you notice a friend or family member who has been a little blue lately, why not grab them and sign up for a Pilates class together? Or go for a walk at lunch. Or a walk around the block after work. Maybe you both could try a new Spin class together.

Find ways to move your body and I promise you, your mind will reap the benefits as well.

Do you have questions? Then don’t hesitate to email me with any and all questions!

Would you like to work with me?

I would love to help you work on your health and wellness goals.

I have developed a new 90 day program that dives into hormones and gut health, nutrition, exercise, yoga and meditation, self care, improving interpersonal relationships, and even more!

Find out more here

Contact me today to book a free Discovery Call with me where we can see if we are the right fit for each other or not.

I can’t wait to hear from you! ?

P.S. Here is the trial if you are a nerd like me and want to read the clinical trial and analysis 😉