If you or someone you love suffers with anxiety or depression, three recent studies bring some very good news when it comes to the impact of exercise on both conditions.

Even light exercise can help combat depression

University of Cambridge research indicates that individuals who exercise may be at lower risk for depression even when they don’t reach the recommended amount of physical activity.

Researchers examined data from 15 studies with nearly 200,000 participants and found that people who met the recommendations had a 25% lower risk for depression, and those who exercised about half as much as the recommended amount had an 18% lower risk, compared to people who did not exercise.

Read more here.

Adults who have depression or anxiety may see double the benefits from regular exercise

At least when compared with other adults who do not have those diagnoses according to a research presentation at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session.

The investigators used data from 50,359 adults in the Mass General Brigham Biobank database and found that patients with anxiety or depression who exercised regularly had a 22% risk reduction for major adverse cardiovascular events, compared with a 10% risk reduction for those who exercised regularly but did not have anxiety or depression.

You can read more here.

Exercise may prevent depression or anxiety

According to HealthDay, a 15-study systematic review and meta-analysis encompassing some 191,000 participants indicated that exercise may “make a difference in major depressive disorder [MDD].”

The review found “an association between physical activity and depression risk,” with researchers positing that “almost 12% of cases of depression could have been prevented with a certain amount of exercise.”

These findings were published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Exercise is good for all of us, but may hold extra special benefit for those wrestling with anxiety or depression.

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