I was recently reading a study by the University of Helsinki, Department of Psychiatry, on The Effect of Exercise and Light on Mood, and I wanted to share some of their findings here in this Blog.
The aim of the study was to compare the effect physical exercise and bright light has on mood in healthy, working-age subjects. Previous research suggests that exercise may have beneficial effects on mood at least in subjects with depression. Bright light exposure is also an effective treatment of winter depression, and possibly of non-seasonal depression as well. This was the first study to see the effect of adding both physical exercise and light therapy to see the effect it has on mood.
Working-age subjects were recruited through occupational health centres and 244 subjects were randomized into intervention groups: exercise, either in bright light or normal lighting, and relaxation / stretching sessions, either in bright light or normal gym lighting. During the eight-week intervention in midwinter, subjects rated their mood using a self-rating version of the Hamilton Depression Scale with additional questions for atypical depressive symptoms.
Results
The main finding of the study was that both exercise and bright-light exposure were effective in treating depressive symptoms. When the interventions were combined, the relative reduction in the Hamilton Depression Scale was 40 to 66%, and in atypical depressive symptoms even higher, 45 to 85%. Bright light exposure was more effective than exercise in treating atypical depressive symptoms. No single factor could be found that would predict a good response to these interventions.
Conclusions
Aerobic physical exercise twice a week during wintertime was effective in treating depressive symptoms. Adding bright light exposure to exercise increased the benefit, especially by reducing atypical depressive symptoms. Since this is so, this treatment could prevent subsequent major depressive episodes among the population generally.
So if you are feeling sad or blue this winter, try adding both physical exercise and light therapy. Don’t forget to schedule regular Chiropractic appointments to boost your immune system and to help you feel more “energetic and brighter”.
https://helda.helsinki.fi/bitstream/handle/10138/22840/theeffec.pdf?sequence=2