The role of aerobic exercise in the treatment of depression

A search was made for exercise intervention studies with experimental designs on clinically depressed subjects. Nine studies were found and these were reviewed. The diagnostic categories were non‐bipolar depressions of mild to moderate severity. The results of all studies tended to point in the same direction. Aerobic exercise was more effective than placebo or no treatment, and it was as effective as other treatment methods: group psychotherapy, different forms of individual psychotherapy and meditation‐relaxation. Aerobic exercise was the most commonly used form of exercise, but divergent opinions exist regarding the importance of the aerobic element.