Brain training

Going for a quick run, or even a brief workout, can help to stave off the onset of depression, scientists say

A new study is giving depression the runaround.

For the first time, scientists have proven that exercise can actually prevent depression.

While a link between mental illness and physical activity has been known for some time, new research in JAMA Psychiatry shows that replacing a daily sedentary activity with even 15 minutes of vigorous movement, such as running, or an hour with a less intense workout, such as walking, can help reduce your risk of developing depression.

“Higher levels of physical activity were linked to reduced odds for major depression,” the study reads.

Researchers used genetic data from nearly 400,000 men and women to prove that breaking a sweat could prevent depressive episodes.

Their findings, the study authors write, suggest that active people are less likely to be de- pressed than inactive people — implying that physical activity is an “effective prevention strategy for depression.”

Upper West Side psychiatrist William Lent has found this to be true for his patients — some of whom he takes on 2-to-3-mile runs through Central Park.

“With running, you’re seeing that you are doing something and you are making some progress,” Lent, an avid runner, tells The Post. “You’re being out there in the world, and you’re being a change agent.”

And the effects are almost instantaneous.

“The endorphins and other chemicals released by the body in sustained aerobic activity go to work immediately to relieve the depressed mood,” Lent says.

He says running is especially helpful for people who are prone to overanalyzing things.

“The client literally runs right into the pain, into the heart, and stays with whatever comes up.”

The biggest hurdle to reaping this benefit, Lent says, is depression itself.

“Part of the nature of depression is the sense of feeling stuck,” he says. To work up to moodboosting workouts, he suggests starting “ridiculously small.”

Rather than riding the elevator all the way up to your apartment or office floor, he says, try taking the stairs “even one or two flights” before heading to the elevator bank.

If you have a treadmill, or another type of workout machine at home, “Get on that thing for three minutes. Period. That’s it. Then tomorrow is three minutes and 20 seconds.”

And, if a 15-minute jog is out of reach, an hourlong stroll could produce the same benefits — anything that’s “grounding for the body,” says Lent.