Exercising three times a week could cut the risk of depression by 16%

Above: Image courtesy of Starwood Hotels & Resorts 

Exercising three times a week could reduce the risk of depression by 16%, according to new research. 

A study by the Institute of Child Health at the University College London, originally published in the JAMA Psychiatry medical journal, found that each weekly exercise session reduces the probability of depression by 6%. 

Researchers found that people who display signs of depression are typically less active, with symptoms of depression decreasing as physical activity increases.

Dr Snehal Pinto Pereira, the study’s lead author, said: “Leisure time physical activity has a protective effect against depression. If everyone was physically active at least three times a week, we would expect to see a drop in depression risk." 

The long-term study encompassed more than 11,000 people born in 1958, assessing them at the age of 23, 33, 42 and 50.