The Ultimate Anti-depressant
Doing even one additional 30-minute workout , or 5000 more steps in a day , every week , could change women ’ s odds of developing depression
General Health
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A new study , recently published in the International Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation , shows that even moderate increases in exercise could help prevent about one-fifth of cases of depression among women . The research is one of the largest studies to date to examine the effect of exercise on depression in South Africa . Globally , most of the research examining the mental health benefits of physical activity has taken place in high income countries outside of Africa .
“ For decades , research on depression has largely focused on treating depression in higher-income countries ,” says Vitality ’ s Head of Wellness , Dr Mosima Mabunda , co-author of the paper . “ Our study is among the first outside of that context to track a large number of people over time to see how we might prevent depression .”
Mabunda says that while there may be no silver bullet for reducing a person ’ s risk of depression , the research provides more evidence that physical activity has a vital role to play . She says this is especially important in countries like South Africa , where treatment remains out of reach for most people living with the condition . “ When we exercise regularly , fascinating things happen in our brains that can help us better deal with stress by , for instance , lowering levels of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol . Regular physical activity has also been shown to reduce anxiety and improve feelings of self-worth .”
The World Health Organisation estimates that depression affects one in 20 adults globally . In low-and middle-income countries more than 75 % of people living with depression go untreated . For at least a decade , studies have shown that exercise can reduce the risk of developing depression . In people who are already living with depression , research has also found that physical activity can reduce the severity of symptoms .
Undertaking the Study
Discovery Health is South Africa ’ s largest private medical scheme , with more than 3.5 million members . For more than 25 years , these members have had access to Discovery Vitality , a behaviour-change and wellness programme that incentivises members to adopt better health , driving and financial behaviours .
To see what effect different levels of physical activity had on depression risk , scientists from organisations including Harvard University and the University of Cape Town reviewed anonymised data from nearly 50,000 Discovery Health and Discovery Vitality members between 2013 to 2015 . People included in the study had not been diagnosed with depression in 2013 and had low levels of physical activity as measured by fitness trackers , gym visits or participation in Discovery-sponsored fitness events .
As part of the study , the scientists compared how people ’ s exercise habits changed over time with cases of diagnosed depression among the group . The study found that in women with low levels of exercise , a moderate increase in physical activity – such as doing even one additional 30-minute workout or 5000 more steps in a day , every week – could be enough to reduce cases of diagnosed depression by 19 % among this group .
“ At Discovery Vitality , we ’ ve spent nearly a quarter of a century refining the science behind how to best support people to lead healthier lives ,” says CEO of Discovery Vitality , Dinesh Govender . “ For many , big changes in diet and exercise can seem overwhelming , even if the pay-off in better health is huge . This study should encourage people everywhere , especially women , that achieving a simple goal such as walking an additional 5000 steps , one day a week could make for a healthier , happier life .”
Solutions for Global Issues
The research found that women in South
Africa were almost twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with depression , in line with existing global data . Although researchers internationally have speculated a range of factors that could explain women ’ s higher risk of diagnosed depression , science still can ’ t say for sure why this occurs .
The study could not show whether increased exercise prevented cases of diagnosed depression among men . Although roughly half of the nearly 50,000 member records included in the research were from men , their lower incidence of reported depression likely means the study would have had to include far more men to accurately study the relationship between increased exercise and depression . Additionally , the results may not be broadly generalisable to South Africans , because the research was conducted among a medically-insured population — which represents less than one in five South Africans .
“ As a behaviour-change programme , Vitality applies insights from clinical , behavioural and data science to help people live healthier lives . Studies like this showcase the outcome of our efforts to do that , and we ’ re delighted that our data is shaping the way the world thinks about better health ,” Govender says , adding that he hopes the research encourages everyone to get moving , even if it means adding a few extra thousand steps a week . “ This study adds to growing research that says you don ’ t have to be running marathons to start feeling the benefits of exercise .”
This article was supplied by Discovery Health . You can access the full report at bit . ly / 3UT3jt1 .
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