Exercising for at least two and a half hours every week can reduce risk of depression by 25 per cent. Unsplash
Exercising for at least two and a half hours every week can reduce risk of depression by 25 per cent. Unsplash
Exercising for at least two and a half hours every week can reduce risk of depression by 25 per cent. Unsplash
Exercising for at least two and a half hours every week can reduce risk of depression by 25 per cent. Unsplash

Even a small exercise regimen can boost mental health, study finds


Sophie Prideaux
  • English
  • Arabic

The benefits of exercise on mental health are well documented, but a new study in the US suggests that even a small amount of physical activity can significantly improve your mood.

The research collected data from 15 different studies, involving about 200,000 people. It found that people who complied with the recommended weekly exercise guideline were significantly less likely to have depression.

The positive effects were still visible in those who exercised half as much, according to the research published in Jama Psychiatry this month.

Those who met recommended exercise guidelines — the equivalent of about two and a half hours of brisk walking, cycling or swimming per week — were 25 per cent less likely to have depression, while those who exercised for half of that time were 18 per cent less likely to be found with the condition.

It also suggested that moderate exercise was capable of preventing 11 per cent of future cases of depression.

However, the study’s authors also added a word of caution, saying there was a chance their findings could be an overestimate if certain mitigating factors were present. For example, if a person had undiagnosed depression at the start of the study, they could be less likely to exercise, therefore skewing the numbers.

But they tried to ensure to use only studies with follow-up times of at least three years to account for circumstances such as these.

The authors said the study showed that “substantial mental health benefits" could be achieved through physical activities even if they did not conform to the public health recommendations.

“Health practitioners should therefore encourage any increase in physical activity to improve mental health,” the study concluded.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Generational responses to the pandemic

Devesh Mamtani from Century Financial believes the cash-hoarding tendency of each generation is influenced by what stage of the employment cycle they are in. He offers the following insights:

Baby boomers (those born before 1964): Owing to market uncertainty and the need to survive amid competition, many in this generation are looking for options to hoard more cash and increase their overall savings/investments towards risk-free assets.

Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980): Gen X is currently in its prime working years. With their personal and family finances taking a hit, Generation X is looking at multiple options, including taking out short-term loan facilities with competitive interest rates instead of dipping into their savings account.

Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996): This market situation is giving them a valuable lesson about investing early. Many millennials who had previously not saved or invested are looking to start doing so now.

Updated: April 26, 2022, 11:33 AM`