How does exercise compare to antidepressant medication or psychotherapy for treating depression?

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    Last Updated: April 23, 2025

    Exercise has been found to be comparably effective as antidepressant medication and psychotherapy for treatment of depression; a clinical trial showed that although medication reduced symptoms more quickly, exercise provided similar effectiveness after 16 weeks and led to more lasting relief at the 10-month follow-up asssessment.

    Exercise seems to compare at least comparably with the current medical standard of care for depression.[1][2] In one clinical trial, researchers randomly assigned 156 moderately depressed males and females to an exercise intervention, medication, or a combined exercise and medication group.[3]

    • The exercise group walked or jogged on a treadmill for thirty minutes, three times per week for sixteen weeks.
    • The medication group received the common selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) sertraline (Zoloft)
    • The combination group received the medication and performed the exercise program concurrently.

    Results showed that the medication worked more quickly to reduce symptoms of depression, but exercise was equally effective at the end of the sixteen-week program and created more lasting alleviation of depression at a ten-month follow-up.[4]

    How does exercise compare to antidepressant medication or psychotherapy for treating depression? - Examine