Researchers studied the effect of exercise on 156 people whose average age was 57. After 16 weeks of exercising briskly for 30 minutes, three times a week, depression returned in only 8 percent of those studied. By comparison, symptoms returned for 38 percent of people who didn't exercise but took antidepression drugs during the trial.

"The effectiveness of exercise seems to persist over time, and patients who respond well to exercise and maintain their exercise have a much smaller risk of relapsing," says James Blumenthal, lead researcher.

What this means to you: The study points up more reason to exercise daily. For depressed people, the simple act of doing something to alleviate their depression might be key.

"Simply taking a pill is passive," Blumenthal says. "Patients who exercised may have felt a greater sense of mastery over their condition and gained a greater sense of accomplishment."

A quickie mood booster, too

Feeling angry, confused, fatigued or tense? As little as eight minutes on a treadmill can help to dramatically, although temporarily, reduce symptoms of depression, a Duke University study says.

Researchers already knew that sustained, regular exercise alleviates depression, but the study proves short, vigorous workouts have the same effect.

Fifty-five people over 50 filled out a mood survey, walked on a treadmill for up to 14 minutes at maximum effort and completed the survey again.

Symptoms of depression dipped 82 percent for participants, who reported feeling more vigorous.

"The interesting thing about our study was that we exercised people to exhaustion, and yet they felt less fatigue at the end of the test," says Kathleen Moore, a Duke University Medical Center health psychologist.

A sense of accomplishment may be one of the possible reasons for the positive results, Moore says. "Just the fact that they mastered the treadmill test might make them feel better."

Get fit for sound sleep

If your greatest desire is to get a better night's sleep, Stanford University School of Medicine researchers may have the answer: exercise.

Conventional wisdom has held that a physical workout during the day can improve sleep at night. Until now, that notion has been long on logic but short on proof. But a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association says people who performed regular aerobic exercise or brisk walking slept almost an hour longer than those who did not exercise.

The study included 43 adult volunteers ages 50 to 76; all of them were sedentary and reported moderate sleep complaints. They were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group was asked to exercise 30 to 40 minutes, four times a week. The other group kept to its sedentary ways.

People who used to take longer than 25 minutes to fall asleep were able, through exercise, to reduce this stage by 15 minutes. However, the sedentary group showed little change in the time it took to fall asleep.

Exercisers reported taking shorter naps than before and rated their nighttime sleep as significantly improved. Exercisers also cut the time it normally took for them to fall asleep by half.

The only rub: It takes 16 weeks for the benefits to kick in.

2004 fitness trends

Still trying to figure out some workable fitness and nutrition goals? Maybe you should get with the program. Surveys of fitness professionals by the American Council on Exercise show the following trends:

Nutrition will go back to basics by . . . increased access to sensible eating plans and regular exercise rather than relying on restrictive diets.

Lifestyle and performance coaching embraced by . . . making better use of tools, such as the Internet, phone, heart-rate monitors and real-time feedback. Coaches will address fitness, nutrition and stress management.

Fitness equipment gets smarter by . . . being more efficient and geared toward user lifestyles. They will measure and provide feedback for those trying to manage stress or prepare for a specific athletic event, for example.

Workouts will accommodate the time-starved by . . . allowing for more efficient workouts in shorter time periods. And trainers will use readily available tools such as chairs, steps and walls to help overcome barriers to access.

Mind/body programs will blend with traditional workouts by . . . infusing elements of Pilates and yoga to help improve posture, breathing and awareness.

Functional fitness gains importance by . . . performing everyday activities with ease by enhancing coordination, strength and endurance. Focus is on exercising several muscles and joints together rather than a particular muscle group.

Reference Source 39
Posted September 23, 2004

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