Genetics can play a major role in depression but there’s new evidence that exercise may be an influential enough factor to help fight depression—even if it’s hereditary.
Genetics, exercise and depression
Researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital looked at data from nearly 8,000 people who had a diagnosis related to depression. They calculated each person’s genetic risk score for depression and found that even those with a higher depression risk score were less likely to experience depression if they exercised regularly.
“Our findings strongly suggest that, when it comes to depression, genes are not destiny,” explains the study’s lead author, Dr. Karmel Choi, “and that being physically active has the potential to neutralize the added risk of future episodes in individuals who are genetically vulnerable.”
How much exercise helps?
According to the researchers, adding just 35 minutes of exercise daily can be enough to reduce your risk of depression and protect against future depressive episodes.
More specifically, the results of the study showed that for each additional 4 hours of exercise per week, the risk of having another bout of depression decreased by 17%.
As for what kind of exercise, it doesn’t really matter. While high-intensity exercise certainly helps, low-intensity exercise, such as yoga or stretching, did too.
If you have a genetic predisposition to developing depression, physical exercise certainly can’t hurt—and this study seems to show that it will likely have great benefits on your emotional health.
“We believe there may be many factors [that] could be part of an overall strategy for improving resilience and preventing depression,” says Dr. Choi. “The magnitude of depression around the world underscores the need for effective strategies that can impact as many people as possible.”
The research results were published in the November 5, 2019 edition of the journal Depression and Anxiety.
