Pollack Rehab

We know that exercise can help treat depression, but what type of exercise helps and who does it help?

Answer: Any type and anyone!

"The findings of the study support that exercise based interventions, in all formats and parameters, can help mitigate depression and anxiety symptoms across all population categories," according to a 2026 study (Munro et al.) published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

"Mental health professionals should prescribe exercise with the same confidence as traditional treatments, recognizing that all exercise formats demonstrate positive effects while tailoring programmes to individual profiles and preferences (e.g., group-based/supervised formats show strongest effects for depression; shorter, lower-intensity programmes for anxiety).

Public health guidelines should position exercise as an accessible, evidence-based first-line intervention for mental health, particularly targeting emerging adults and perinatal populations where effects are strongest," the authors conclude.

Effect of exercise on depression and anxiety symptoms: systematic umbrella review with meta-meta-analysis Objective To synthesise meta-analytic outcomes from randomised controlled trials examining exercise effects on depression and anxiety across all population groups, including children and adults with both clinically diagnosed and subclinical symptoms, excluding those with pre-existing chronic physiol...