Prevent depression by one hour of weekly exercise

The results show that even small amounts of training can protect against depression, with mental health benefits regardless of age or gender.

In the largest and wider study of this type, the analysis included 33908 Norwegian adults who were monitored for 11 years.

The international research team found that 12 per cent of cases of depression could have been prevented if participants were to exercise only an hour each week.

We knew that training had a role in treating symptoms of depression, but this is the first time we've been able to determine the preventative potential of physical activity”, Said lead author Samuel Harvey.

These findings are exciting because they show that even relatively small amounts of training an hour a week can offer significant protection against depression.

We're still trying to determine exactly why the exercise can have this protective effect, but we believe it's from the combined impact of different physical and social benefits of physical activity”, Says the scholar.