Making room for one additional 30-minute workout or adding in 5,000 steps in a day every week may reduce women’s incidence of depression by 19%. Even modest adjustments to exercise weekly may prevent nearly one in five cases of the disorder, a new study found.
Routine physical activity has been touted as a way to improve mental health and reduce the risk of depression and the symptoms associated with it, but research seldom quantifies how much may make the difference. Women are about twice as likely to be diagnosed with depression compared to men, and this study, conducted in South Africa by Discovery Vitality, a health insurer that incentivizes its members by rewarding financial decisions with wellness and fitness benefits, homed in on what kind of exercise uptick may benefit women’s risk for depression.
