Tag Archives: medication

If exercise is medicine, why didn’t your doctor give you a prescription?

What if I told you that there is a prescription your doctor could give you that would prevent and treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes as well as lowering your risk of heart attack, stroke, and most cancers. It can also decrease depression, improve memory and cognitive function better than any other available treatment, and reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. And it can help you maintain a healthy body weight, increase your strength, and help you live longer. You would insist your doctor prescribe this for you, right?

The good news is that this prescription exists. The bad news is your doctor may not tell you much about it. This is because it isn’t a drug or other medical treatment—it’s exercise!


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Exercise is an effective, but underused, treatment for depression.

You probably know that exercise is good for your physical health. A lower risk of weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers are among a long list of positive health effects of physical activity. Lesser known benefits include improved mental health, cognitive function, and greater feelings of wellbeing. In fact, research shows that exercise is an effective way to prevent and treat depression, which is the topic of my Health & Fitness column in the Aiken Standard this week.

Yoga class

Depression has been in the news recently following the release of new guidelines for the screening for depression in all adults, especially women during and after pregnancy. Considering that depression affects almost 15 million American adults and is a leading cause of disability, diagnosing and treating depression should be a priority. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of common depression treatments, including antidepressant medication, is questionable.

It turns out that exercise is an effective, if underused, strategy to treat depression. Exercise itself has been shown to be as effective as some medications for reducing depression symptoms. More commonly, exercise is used in addition to other treatment strategies, including antidepressant medication, increasing the effectiveness of those therapies. One study showed that exercise can reduce depression symptoms after just 10 days, even before many medications are effective.

It appears that both aerobic and resistance training are beneficial. It is also possible that social support experienced through group exercise is important, too. Additionally, where the exercise is conducted matters and exercise outdoors, especially in nature, can be particularly beneficial.





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