New research has found that people who participate in regular physical activity outside work are not as likely to show signs of depression as those who don't.
In a new research study; a team from the Institute of Psychiatry (IoP) at King's College London and academics from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and the University of Bergen asked more than 40,000 Norwegian residents how often they took part in both light and intense physical activity.
The findings - published in November's issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry - showed that;
- there was an "inverse relationship" between the amount of leisure time activity and symptoms of depression.
- people who were not active outside work are twice as likely to display signs of depression.
- the intensity of physical activity appeared to make no difference.
Lead researcher Dr Samuel Harvey of the IoP 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"
