Exercise is a powerful antidepressant. Compared to no treatment or placebo, exercise was s

Well SupportedModerate-to-vigorous exercise may offer comparable benefits to antidepressants for individuals with depression, with the added advantage of improving long-term health.

Well SupportedExercise can provide similar or better mental health benefits than SSRIs, along with additional benefits for bone, muscle, and metabolism, and without side effects.

Partially SupportedExercise provides whole-body health benefits, such as improved body composition, blood pressure, and heart rate variability, that therapy and medications do not deliver.

Partially SupportedExercise may be a more powerful intervention for whole-body health than standard depression treatments.