Adherence
Engaging in higher levels of physical activity (≥90 minutes/day) is associated with a statistically significant reduction in the risk of incident clinical depression in older women compared to low activity levels (<10 minutes/day).
To lower your risk of clinical depression, aim for at least 90 minutes of physical activity per day. This doesn't require intense gym workouts; walking, jogging, or gardening all count. The study shows that combining this activity with limiting television watching (to under 5 hours a week) provides the strongest protection. Start with walking, as it is the most common and accessible form of activity for older women.
Higher levels of PA were associated with lower depression risk. The multivariate relative risk comparing the highest level of PA (≥90 minutes/day) with the lowest (<10 minutes/day) was 0.80 (95% confidence interval: 0.70, 0.92; Ptrend < 0.001).
Why this rating
Large prospective cohort (n=49,821), long follow-up (10 years), adjusted for multiple confounders, but observational design prevents causal inference.
Source
Relation Between Clinical Depression Risk and Physical Activity and Time Spent Watching Television in Older Women: A 10-Year Prospective Follow-up Study
Michel Lucas et al. · American Journal of Epidemiology · 2011
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