Running may treat depression as well as antidepressants, study suggests

BOSTON - A new study finds you might be able to jog your way out of depression.

According to the CDC, more than 13% of American adults take an antidepressant but these drugs can cause unwanted side effects. 

Physical activity can also boost mood and improve mental health. 

So researchers in Amsterdam asked the question: can running treat depression just as effectively as antidepressants? 

They took 141 people with depression and/or anxiety disorder and had them either run at least twice a week or take an antidepressant.

After 16 weeks, both groups had similar improvements in their mental health symptoms.

The runners were less likely to stick with the running program over time, but they experienced improvements in health measures such as weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, and heart rate.

In:
• Health
• Exercise
• Depression

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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