Hour a week of exercise could be best defence against depression

♦ Just an hour of exercise a week could help prevent depression, a study has suggested.

In the largest study of its kind, analysis suggested that those who did not exercise were 44 per cent more likely to suffer with depression, compared with those exercising for one to two hours a week.

The research, published in The American Journal of Psychiatry, also found that 12 per cent of depression cases could have been prevented by a small amount of regular exercise.

Associate professor Samuel Harvey, the study’s lead author, said: “These findings are exciting because they show that even relatively small amounts of exercise, from one hour per week, can deliver significant protection against depression.”

An international research team, led by the Australia-based Black Dog Institute, studied 33,908 Norwegian adults whose levels of exercise and symptoms of depression and anxiety were monitored over 11 years.

Prof Harvey said: “If we can find ways to increase the population’s level of physical activity even by a small amount, then this is likely to bring substantial physical and mental health benefits.”