University of Limerick study finds exercise is key in reducing depression
NEW RESEARCH from the University of Limerick has revealed that even moderate daily physical activity can reduce the risk of depression.
The new study, conducted by physical activity and mental health experts at UL and Trinity College Dublin, has shown that a physical activity dose equivalent to just 20 minutes a day (for five days a week) of moderate-intensity physical activity, like brisk walking, was linked with less risk of depressive symptoms and odds of major depression.
The study, ‘Physical activity dose and depression in a cohort of older adults in the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing’ by Eamon Laird, Charlotte Lund Rasmussen, Rose Anne Kenny and Matthew Herring, has been published by Jama Network Open.
Depression is unfortunately increasingly common among older adults. Recent research has shown moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was linked with benefits for depression.
According to Dr Eamon Laird, lead author and a post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at UL: “there is no agreement on how much physical activity is protective for depression overall.”
“We sought to identify the lowest dose of MVPA associated with protection against major epression and depressive symptoms,” added Dr Laird.