Overview
- The review pooled 73 randomized trials including about 5,000 adults and found exercise produced a moderate benefit versus control conditions.
- Across 10 trials, exercise showed little to no difference compared with psychological therapy at end of treatment, with similar findings in limited long-term data.
- In five trials against antidepressants, exercise showed little to no difference at treatment end, though certainty for longer-term outcomes was very low.
- Lower-intensity and mixed or resistance training regimens outperformed vigorous or aerobic-only approaches in the available comparisons.
- Researchers and clinicians recommend offering exercise as a clinician-guided option tailored to patient preference, with calls for larger, head-to-head and longer-duration studies to define optimal programs and durability of benefits.