Exercise works for depression. So why isn’t it treated like real medicine? (Nicholas Fabiano, July 21, 2026, Big Think)
Hundreds of clinical trials now show that exercise can significantly reduce symptoms of depression. For mild to moderate cases, its effects are generally comparable to medication or therapy. When exercise is combined with medications or therapy, the effects may even be additive. On a population level, even achieving just half the recommended amount of physical activity is linked to an 18% lower risk of developing depression.