BACKGROUND: Exercise has been suggested to be a viable treatment for depression. This study investigates the effect of supervised aerobic exercise training on depressive symptoms and physical performance among Chinese patients with mild to moderate depression in early in-patient phase. METHODS: A randomized repeated measure and assessor-blinded study design was used. Subjects in aerobic exercise group received 30 minutes of aerobic training, five days a week for 3 weeks. Depressive symptoms (MADRS and C-BDI) and domains in physical performance were assessed at baseline and program end. RESULTS: Subjects in aerobic exercise group showed a more significant reduction in depressive scores (MADRS) as compared to control (between-group mean difference 10.08 +/- 9.41; p = 0.026) after 3 weeks training. The exercise group also demonstrated a significant improvement in flexibility (between-group mean difference 4.4 +/- 6.13; p = 0.02). LIMITATIONS: There was lack of longitudinal followup to examine the long-term effect of aerobic exercise on patients with depression. CONCLUSIONS: Aerobic exercise in addition to pharmacological intervention can have a synergistic effect in reducing depressive symptoms and increasing flexibility among Chinese population with mild to moderate depression. Early introduction of exercise training in in-patient phase can help to bridge the gap of therapeutic latency of antidepressants during its nonresponse period.

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