Exercise More Effective Than Drugs In Fighting Depression

Although there have been reports about how effective exercise is when trying to beat depression, the news out yesterday was pretty strong.

According James A. Blumenthal, a professor of psychology at Duke University regular exercise could help lift the cloud of major depression as effectively as an antidepressant, new research shows. This was the first controlled clinical trial, according to the article in the LA Times.

The reason for the effect is that exercise can increase endorphin or serotonin levels, so-called feel-good brain chemicals.

Those of us who have exercised for years know how much better you emotionally after working out. I'm just so glad that for those people who need scientific proof of things they can now turn to exercise first rather than anti-depressant medications which in the past year have been shown to have very serious side effects -- especially in children.