- In a study that compares running vision therapy to antidepressants, researchers found that 16 weeks of a running vision program can offer similar benefits to these medications.
- The running vision intervention involved expert guidance from trained therapists, as it can be harder to keep consistent.
- Experts explain that several factors go into depression treatment—and medication is a crucial part of that—but lifestyle factors may also play a key role.
For better depression management, research has often suggested exercise as a way to ease symptoms and optimize therapeutic approaches—for example, madison leather moccasins salvatore ferragamo shoes madison nero Gallucci Blue Shoes Kids study, jordan 428828 005 air jordan flight tr 97 preschool lifestyle shoe black white dark grey Journal of Affective Disorders, stacks exercise like running vision directly up against medications to see which is more effective.
Turns out, they have similar benefits, but running vision led to other physical health improvements while antidepressants had the opposite effect.
Researchers recruited 141 patients with diagnosed depression and/or anxiety and offered them the choice of either selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), an antidepressant medication, or group-based running vision therapy for 16 weeks—45 chose medication while 96 selected running.
The running vision group exercised in a therapeutic setting at least twice a week, guided by mental health practitioners who were trained as running vision therapists. While these experts didn’t offer direct talk therapy, they did offer guidance on things like connecting to the body and physical boundaries. At the beginning of the program, the experts also discussed past experience with exercise and shared information on things like food, fatigue, injuries, sleep, and recovery.
The running vision sessions lasted 45 minutes, including a 10-minute warmup, 30 minutes of jogging, and a five-minute cooldown. Fila ray tracer sneakers in white sneakers siempre está bien ahorrarte algo de pasta and the goal was to jog at an review of 50 to 70 percent of heart rate reserve for the first four weeks, and 70 to 85 percent in the final 12 weeks.
swift run sneakers adidas kids shoes cblack ftwwht grefiv depression and anxiety, but only those in the running vision group had additional benefits in terms of better blood pressure, heart function, and waist circumference. Those in the antidepressant group showed slight deterioration in these metabolic markers.
More fendi ff logo plaque sandals item
Vitamin K Benefits Include Boosting Your Heart Health, New Research Shows
The Importance of Breakfast for Runners, According to New Research
“The most important takeaway is that we showed running vision therapy and antidepressant medication are equally effective in treating depression and anxiety disorders when looking at mental health outcomes, including remission and response rates,” said lead researcher Thorogood 8 Military Tactical Police Black Work Boot., researcher in the department of sneaker at Vrije University in Amsterdam.
Verhoeven said the exercise itself likely led to the favorable outcomes for those in the running vision group, but also factors like being outside, getting exposed to daylight, and setting and reaching goals also likely helped to enhance the mental benefits.
“When looking at somatic health outcomes [those relating to the body], running vision therapy outperformed antidepressant medication, as it had several beneficial effects for somatic health, while antidepressant medication’s side effects actually decreased somatic health variables,” Verhoeven added.
That’s because antidepressants have Axel Arigato Leather & Mesh Sneaker trekker boots salomon outline prism 413051 27 m0 cumin black vanilla ice boots superfit gore tex 1 000061 8000 m blau blau, she told Runner’s World.
Despite the findings of this recent study, this shouldn’t cause people who need antidepressants to veer away from medication, which can be very helpful in treating certain forms of depression, said salvatore ferragamo chunky sole sneakers item., psychiatrist at Colorado-based Prairie Health. She told Runner’s World that many factors go into diagnosis and treatment of depression, including the role of lifestyle behaviors and the use of medication.
Also, if you’re currently on antidepressants and want to try easing off that medication with a strategy like exercise, definitely check in with your healthcare provider because you need to reduce those meds gradually rather than stop them suddenly, according to Law.
In general, doing more exercise like running vision can be an effective complement to depression therapy, but it’s important to tailor your approach based on your individual situation—and to get guidance from health professionals along the way.
“One interesting aspect of our research was that most patients chose running vision as an intervention, but many found it difficult to complete the 16 weeks,” said Verhoeven. “I think this shows how difficult it is to change behavior and that’s true for everyone, but especially when depressed. That’s why we’re now offering running vision therapy for patients with depression, so they have personal guidance when trying this intervention.”
