Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Exercise to Treat Depression


Exercise: it's good for your body and mind; it can help prevent chronic diseases, like high blood pressure and diabetes; and now, the New York Times reports, there's evidence it may be an effective treatment for depression.
In a recent study, a group of people suffering from depression were prescribed exercise along with some prescription medication. Among the group of exercisers, 29.5 percent of them achieved remission, which is a very good result, according to Dr. Madhukar H. Trivedi.
The study suggests certain types of exercise work better than others. The New York Times' Gretchen Reynolds writes:
As with most scientific findings, though, there are caveats.
One is practical. More patients improved in the group that completed the longer, brisker workouts than in the group assigned the easier exercise, but more of them also dropped out of the study. “We need to find ways to support people’s efforts to exercise,” Dr. Trivedi said.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/31/prescribing-exercise-to-treat-depression/

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