People who take regular exercise during their free time are less likely to have
symptoms of depression and anxiety, a study of 40,000 Norwegians has found.
But physical activity which is part and parcel of the working day does not have
the same effect, it suggests.
Writing in the British Journal of Psychiatry, the researchers said it was
probably because there was not the same level of social interaction.
The charity Mind said that exercise and interaction aids our mental health.
Higher levels of social interaction during leisure time were found to be part
of the reason for the link.
Researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London teamed up
with academics from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and the University
of Bergen in Norway to conduct the study.
Start Quote
Exercise gives you a natural high and is a great way to boost your mood.
End Quote Paul Farmer chief executive, Mind
Participants were asked how often, and to what degree, they undertook physical
activity in their leisure time and during the course of their work.
Researchers also measured participants' depression and anxiety using the
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.
People who were not active in their leisure time were almost twice as likely to
have symptoms of depression compared to the most active individuals, the study
found.
But the intensity of the exercise did not seem to make any difference.
Social benefits
Lead researcher Dr Samuel Harvey, from the Institute of Psychiatry, said: "Our
study shows that people who engage in regular leisure-time activity of any
intensity are less likely to have symptoms of depression.
"We also found that the context in which activity takes place is vital and that
the social benefits associated with exercise, like increased numbers of friends
and social support, are more important in understanding how exercise may be
linked to improved mental health than any biological markers of fitness.
"This may explain why leisure activity appears to have benefits not seen with
physical activity undertaken as part of a working day."
Paul Farmer, chief executive of the mental health charity Mind, said that
lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise are known to have a positive impact
on mental well-being.
"Exercise gives you a natural high and is a great way to boost your mood.
However, another mental health benefit of physical activity is derived from
social interaction.
"So going out with a running club, taking part in a team sport or working on a
communal allotment is far better for your mental well-being than a physically
demanding job.
"Mind has found that after just a short country walk 90% of people had
increased self-esteem," Mr Farmer said.