While antidepressant medications and electroconvulsive therapy have been shown to be effective treatments for severe depression, mild and moderate depressions seldom respond to medications and are usually managed by a variety of psychotherapies, all of which are equally and minimally beneficial. Clinical experience suggested that physical activity might be helpful in treating moderate depression. After reviewing the available literature (analogue studies suggested a negative correlation between exercise and depression), we conducted a clinical study comparing a 10 week course of thrice weekly walking-jogging-running with 10 weeks of two different psychotherapies. Patients with moderate ("neurotic-reactive") depression were randomly assigned to the three treatments. Walking-jogging-running was at least as effective as either psychotherapy and cost a quarter as much to administer. Follow-up shows continued freedom from depression in runners, most of whom have continued the treament on their own. Possible mechanisms of reaction will be discussed.
With permission from Excerpta Medica Inc.

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