Aerobic exercise in depressed youth: A feasibility and clinical outcomes pilot

Major depressive disorder (MDD) onset generally occurs in adolescence/early adulthood. However, pharmacotherapy use in younger populations is restricted due to black box warnings. Aerobic exercise may be a viable treatment option for mild-to-moderate MDD, but little is known about its acceptability/effectiveness in young adults.

Unmedicated and relatively inactive 18-to-24 olds with MDD completed fitness/clinical assessments at baseline and after 12 weeks of supervised aerobic exercise (3×/wk; 30-minute sessions in target heart rate [HR] zone), with the aim of increasing cardiovascular fitness (VO_2max -indexed).

Post-intervention, predicted VO_2max increased, whereas depression scores decreased. A correlation existed between time spent in target HR zone and anxiety symptom decreases. Exercise adherence and satisfaction were high, and drop-out was minimal.

This pilot is among the first to assess the feasibility of aerobic exercise as an antidepressant treatment strategy in young adults, a group for which options have limited acceptability.