Disclaimer: The information in this article is general in nature and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health professional before starting any exercise programme or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Exercise can reduce depression symptoms. It should not be presented as a replacement for counselling or medication for every person. A large 2024 analysis found that several forms of exercise reduced symptoms. The authors said exercise could sit alongside psychotherapy and antidepressants as a core treatment.
What the 2023 review found
The original umbrella review brought together 97 reviews. Those reviews covered 1,039 randomised trials and more than 128,119 adults. Physical activity had a medium effect on depression and anxiety symptoms across the combined evidence.
Short programmes lasting 12 weeks or less produced larger effects than longer programmes. Strength, aerobic, mixed and mind-body activities all helped in the included reviews. Higher-intensity activity was linked with larger improvements, although lower-intensity activity still had benefits.
The review's limitations matter. Seventy-seven of the 97 included reviews received a critically low quality rating. Most trials compared activity with usual care, a waitlist, no treatment or a less active programme. The paper compared its effect sizes with results from separate reviews of psychotherapy and medication. It did not establish through direct trials that exercise is 1.5 times better than either treatment.
What newer evidence adds
The 2024 analysis focused on adults who met clinical cut-offs for major depression. It included 218 studies and 14,170 participants. Walking or jogging, yoga and strength training produced moderate reductions in symptoms compared with active controls.
The authors also found important limits. Only one included study met the review's low-risk-of-bias standard. Confidence was low for walking or jogging and very low for the other exercise types. The review therefore supports exercise as a treatment option, but not a universal replacement for established care.
A real example of consistency and support
A person's experience cannot show how a treatment works for everyone. It can show what helps someone keep taking part.
Adelaide nurse Alicia Hopper was diagnosed with depression in her early 30s. A friend suggested parkrun because she wanted activity outside a gym. The Guardian reported that she kept attending for six years, including days when she only stayed for coffee. She described consistency and friendships as important parts of her parkrun experience.
Hopper also used antidepressants. Her story shows how a regular group can support activity alongside medical care. It does not create an either-or choice between the two.
Building exercise into depression treatment
Australia's 2026 guidelines report says structured, supervised or group exercise can work better than exercise counselling alone for major depression. It also says lower intensities can help people begin before they increase the effort.
People differ in their symptoms, fitness, health conditions and access to support. A doctor or other qualified health professional can help decide where exercise fits in an existing treatment plan. Do not stop medication or therapy because of a study headline.
The evidence supports exercise as a useful treatment option. The next question is which safe, supported activity can fit the person and their wider care.
