Stopping exercise can worsen depression in as little as three days, new research suggests.
In a review of six studies assessing the impact of ceasing activity in sufferers of the mental-health condition, results imply their symptoms, such as a continuous low mood, appear almost immediately.
Study author Professor Bernhard Baune, from the University of Adelaide, said: ‘It is important that people understand the potential impact on their mental wellbeing when they suddenly cease regular exercise.’
PhD student Julie Morgan, who was also involved in the study, added: ‘At least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week is recommended to maintain health and prevent depression or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise for added health benefits.’
Previous research suggests being active increases the release of feel-good endorphins, which boost people’s moods and promote calmness.
Around three per cent of adults in the UK suffer from depression every year.
Stopping exercise can worsen depression in as little as three days, research suggests (stock)
Symptoms appear in just three days
Speaking of the findings, Professor Baune said: ‘In some cases, ceasing this amount of exercise induced significant increases in depressive symptoms after just three days.
‘Other studies showed that people’s depressive symptoms increased after the first one or two weeks, which is still quite soon after stopping their exercise.’
He adds, however, the number of patients analysed was fairly small and therefore the experiment should be repeated, particularly as there is relatively little research investigating the effect of exercise on depression.
Results further suggest female depression sufferers are more likely to experience such symptoms after stopping exercise than males.
Symptoms also quickly appear even if other signs of the mental-health condition, such as inflammation, are not present.
How the research was carried out
The researchers analysed studies investigating the link between stopping exercise and depressive symptoms.
In total, 152 otherwise healthy adults were assessed.
The findings were published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
Depression increases the risk of premature death
This comes after research released in October last year suggested depression increases the risk of an early death by up to three times.
Men’s risk of a premature passing increases three-fold when suffering from the mental-health condition, while women’s risk is heightened by up to 51 per cent.
Previous research suggests depression causes the release of stress hormones that suppress the immune system, putting sufferers at an increased risk of conditions such as cancer.
People with the mental-health disorder may also be more likely to have unhealthy lifestyle habits, including a poor diet, inactivity and excessive alcohol intake, past studies imply.
Lead author Stephen Gilman from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in Maryland, said: ‘For some individuals depression can be very serious condition.
‘It is very important to seek treatment for depression and to be vigilant about recurrences.’