Depression Support Journal

Feeling depressed? A short walk may make you feel better. A study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise suggests that 30 minutes of brisk walking can immediately improve the mood of people with depression. The study looked at 40 people ages 18 to 55 who had been diagnosed with major depressive disorder. The participants were not taking antidepressant drugs and were not regularly exercisers. The researchers assigned half the patients to walk on a treadmill for 30 minutes. The other half sat quietly for 30 minutes. The researchers asked the participants about their mood five minutes before the half-hour session, then again 30 and 60 minutes afterward. All the participants reported feeling less tension, depression, anger and fatigue after the session, The Associated Press reports. But people who exercised reported feeling good -- they felt more vigorous and had a greater sense of psychological well-being, the AP says. The effects of exercise only lasted for about an hour, but the AP quotes other experts who say exercise could give people with mild to moderate depression a way to help themselves in the short term.

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