Promising developments offer hope to those struggling with depression.Researchers at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center have found that exercise helps reduce symptoms of mood disorders. The first study to look at exercise alone in treating mild to moderate depression in adults ages 20 to 45 showed that depressive symptoms were reduced almost 50 percent in those who participated in 30-minute aerobic exercise sessions three to five times a week.
The results are comparable to those from studies in which similar patients were treated with antidepressants or cognitive therapy. Psychiatrist Sheldon Cohen, who has been "in perpetual motion" for as long as he can remember, has been urging his patients to incorporate daily exercise into their lives for more than 50 years.
"I introduce the concept to everyone," he tells the Post. "It isn't easy. But my patients get the message that exercise is as integral to their treatment as the prescription I might write for pills. People by and large have found exercise to be helpful."
"Exercise is the way to do something for yourself," he adds. "You get a feeling of mastery and can begin to take control of your life. You do it gradually--literally, one step at a time. People will say 'I'm too tired.' What I say is: the reason you are tired is because you are not doing anything. It is much more fatiguing to be inactive than to be active."
Dr. Cohen recommends 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day and encourages patients to choose an activity that they like to do and want to do. On occasion, he has walked or run along with them.
"For many people, exercise would be an adjunct to drug therapy," he concludes. "For mild to moderate depression or anxiety, it might even take the place of medication. But exercise has a place in the treatment of all patients."
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