LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: UFC commentator Joe Rogan has praised an Australian study that found exercise to be more beneficial in reducing depression compared to medications. The controversial podcaster discussed the research conducted by the University of South Australia on a recent episode of 'The Joe Rogan Experience.'
The study discovered that exercise was one and a half times more effective in treating depression than traditional counseling or other forms of medication. Described as 'the most comprehensive review to date,' the research examined over 97 studies, 1,039 trials, and 128,000 participants.
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What did Joe Rogan say?
"Of course it is. I don’t want to say the cause of anyone else’s depression because there’s no way I can know", Joe Rogan said about the study, according to LadBible. “But probably a lot of people are depressed because they aren’t moving. I really think it’s a physical requirement. There are some universal requirements [for the human body], and movement is one of them. If you can move, if you are privileged enough -you’re not injured, you’re not disabled, and you can move — God I really think you should move."
Rogan shared some words of advice
Rogan then attempted to impart some sensible advice to his listeners. "Just walk around the block. Just f**king do something," the comedian emphasized. The study, which was released in February, examined the effects of physical activity on mental health over a 12-week period. In addition to depression, physical activities have also been shown to be beneficial for pregnant and postpartum women, healthy individuals, and people diagnosed with HIV or kidney disease.
Lead UniSA researcher says exercise needs to be prioritized
Dr Ben Singh said in a statement that people need to give utmost importance to exercise to better manage the growing cases of mental health conditions. “Physical activity is known to help improve mental health. Yet despite the evidence, it has not been widely adopted as a first-choice treatment,” Dr Singh said. “Our review shows that physical activity interventions can significantly reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety in all clinical populations, with some groups showing even greater signs of improvement. Higher intensity exercise had greater improvements for depression and anxiety, while longer durations had smaller effects when compared to short and mid-duration bursts."
He also spoke about the exercises that prove to be the most fruitful for mental health. “We also found that all types of physical activity and exercise were beneficial, including aerobic exercises such as walking, resistance training, Pilates, and yoga," he said. “Importantly, the research shows that it doesn’t take much for exercise to make a positive change to your mental health.”