The Role of Physical Activity and Exercise in the Prevention and Treatment of Depression

Depression is a term that refers to a clinical syndrome or disorder characterised by a feeling of hopelessness or unhappiness. Symptoms include weight loss with loss of pleasure, sleep changes (i.e. insomnia or hypersomnia), psychomotor agitation or regression, fatigue or loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt, reduced ability to think or concentrate, and recurrent thoughts of death. Basically, treatment consists of pharmacological and psychological interventions. Although these treatments are effective, not all patients achieve the same results. In this case, alternative approaches are needed to prevent and treat depression. Our literature review shows that high levels of physical activity and exercise have protective effects on depression cases. In combination with other treatment modalities, exercise and physical activity may lead to a more rapid improvement of the clinical picture. In this article, we reviewed the current literature on the use of physical activity and exercise for the prevention and treatment of depression.