Depression is a label used to describe a combination of symptoms, but the cause of this combination can differ from person to person. That’s why in some cases meds and exercise might not help. Unfortunately there’s just still a lot we don’t know about the different causes.

I hate these articles because they imply that anti-depressants aren’t useful (“just excercise more!”). In my personal experience, having had about 20 years of depression and suicidal ideation since I was a child, nothing worked until I finally was on venlafaxine. That drug seriously saved and transformed my life, and I hate that there are people that will read this article for whom it might be the only treatment that will work for them, but they’ll try excercise, not get better, and blame themselves because they always could have exercised more.

Depression is a symptom of likely different hidden diseases, and some treatments will only work for some of them. That’s why it’s not uncommon for patients to need to try multiple medications before finding one that treats their underlying disease (for example, the first drug I tried, wellbutrin, actually exaccerbated my depression).

Likely excercise can be a successful treatment for some people, but it won’t work for everyone, and a headline that says it’s as effective as medication fails to communicate that that’s averaged across a population. Just like how a typical anti-depressant is only somewhat effective (amazing for some, nothing for others), I imagine exercise is the same.

Citation: Exercise for Depression: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD004366.pub7/full

depends on which kind of depression, like depression from stress might. but other forms, not so much.

Not doing anything at all is as effective as (most) medication in treating depression. One needs to find the correct medication for themselves.

This definitely tracks on a personal level (though I’ve never been diagnosed with depression and never tried meds) - if I get outside and do something - almost anything - I feel 100% better.

This doesn’t surprise me. While I take some low dose meds, the periods of my life where I exercise even just a little, are significantly better overall. I started my current low intensity program now and I have much more energy to balance work and being a dad and husband. Glad the science is backing it up, but I hope this doesn’t cause people to just assume exercise will help everyone with much greater burdens than I have.

Endorphins, better blood oxygen capacity, much better sleep, eventually better stamina in everyday life … all very tangible benefits of daily exercise. You don’t need a gym or equipment either. Running, walking, burpees, crunches, push-ups, maybe a pull-up bar can take you pretty far on their own.

None of this will directly fix all of your problems but it can better equip you to deal with stuff. A diet that is mostly fruits and veggies helps a ton too but that’s a whole other discussion.

I’vs suffered a bout of pretty deep depression a few years back. I had a really hard time simply getting out of bed. I don’t know if I could have found the strength to go exercise.

There’s a lot of different types of depression though. That’s why there are so many different types of depression medication, often prescribed in combination in a sort of hit and miss fashion until you find what works. Exercise is always going to have positive effects but this study probably will do more harm than good.

What else ya got?

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Study finds wrong.