Exercise 1.5 Times Better Than Drugs for Mental Health.

In 2023, Ben Singh and a team reviewed 97 meta-analyses covering 1,039 trials with 128,119 adults to compare exercise against psychotherapy or medications for mental health issues like depression and anxiety. They looked at various workouts—brisk walking, weights, yoga—measuring effects on mood, stress, and brain chemicals.

Exercise cut mental health symptoms by 42-60%, outperforming drugs or therapy (22-37% improvement), making it 1.5 times more effective. Short, high-intensity sessions worked best, especially for depression, HIV, kidney disease, pregnancy, and healthy adults. Workouts boosted endorphins, BDNF (up 20-30%), and reduced inflammation (cytokines down 10-20%), unlike meds.

Add 150 minutes of weekly exercise like brisk walking or yoga to lift mood better than pills.

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