Optimizing the Antidepressant Effects of Exercise With the Right Workout

Research has found that type, intensity, and duration of exercise are the primary determinants of its ability to alleviate depressive symptoms. In particular, sustained cardiovascular exercise is shown to offer significant benefits. “This is not just a leisurely walk in the park,” says Dr. Madhukar Trivedi, professor of psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, whose research reveals that exercise can reduce symptoms of depression in patients who do not respond to pharmacological treatment. According to his studies, exercise must reach a certain level of intensity and last for a certain amount of time before benefits are conferred. “It amounts to about 45 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise – where you’re breathing heavily – three or four times a week.” Aerobics classes, running, cycling, rowing, stair climbers, and elliptical trainers can all fit the bill for this type of exercise. However, you don’t necessarily have to become a runner, invest in a gym membership, or buy special equipment to engage in depression-fighting physical activity; as noted in an article from Harvard Medical School:

A study published in 2005 found that walking fast for about 35 minutes a day five times a week or 60 minutes a day three times a week had a significant influence on mild to moderate depression symptoms.

You also don’t have to jump right into intensive activity. Dr. Benjamin Goldstein, director of the Centre for Youth Bipolar Disorder at Sunnybrook Health Science Centre in Toronto “suggests that patients adopt a gradualist approach to exercise, slowly building up the intensity of their workout.”

Anecdotal evidence has long suggested that communion with nature is good for the spirit. Now, science is confirming that natural environments has a profound impact on our emotional health and can amplify the depression-fighting benefits of exercise. Researchers at Stanford University asked study participants to spend 90 minutes walking in either a natural setting or an urban environment. Upon their return, brain scans of those walking in nature revealed decreased neural activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain “associated with self-focused behavioral withdrawal linked to rumination in both depressed and healthy individuals.” Indeed, when surveyed, the participants who had walked through a natural setting reported less rumination and fewer negative emotions. Gretchen Daily, one of the study’s authors, says, “These results suggest that accessible natural areas may be vital for mental health in our rapidly urbanizing world.” As such, going for a hike in a nature preserve or running through a lush park instead of exercising on busy urban streets or at the gym could augment the antidepressant effects of exercise.

Meditation is increasingly becoming known for its ability to enhance mood, and research has confirmed that meditating can improve depression treatment outcomes. A study released last month suggests that meditation can also be used to heighten the antidepressant effects of exercise. Researchers from Rutgers University recruited 52 men and women diagnosed with and without depression, and used sensory technology to examine the electrical signals in their brains. All of the depressed volunteers “showed signaling patterns in their prefrontal cortex that are associated with poor concentration and focus.” After establishing these baseline readings, the participants were taught a form of meditation known as Mindful Awareness Practice (MAP) that seeks to bring you into a state of awareness of and focus on the present moment. After meditating, they participated in 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise on treadmills or stationary bikes. After eight weeks, the researchers again examined their brain activity, revealing significant changes:

The group with depression now showed brain cell activity in their prefrontal cortex that was almost identical to that of people without depression. They could concentrate much better and hone their attention, attributes that are believed to help reduce stubborn rumination.

Additionally, participants with depression experienced improved mood and reported a 40% reduction in depressive symptoms. In particular, they reported significantly reduced “inclination to ruminate over bad memories.”

While the exact reasons for the changes are not yet known, the researchers have a theory: aerobic exercise has been shown to encourage hippocampal neurogenesis, creating new neuronal cells and allowing the brain to heal from the damage of depression. It could be that these new cells are primed for learning, and meditation not only keeps them alive, but gives them direction. If directed toward mindfulness, the new brain matter created via exercise-induced neurogenesis can disrupt depression-led and depression-inducing emotional and behavioral patterns.