Exercise and Depressive Symptoms: A Comparison of Aerobic and Resistance Exercise Effects on Emotional and Physical Function in Older Persons With High and Low Depressive Symptomatology

Abstract

This study examines and compares the effect of aerobic and resistance exercise on emotional and physical function among older persons with initially high or low depressive symptomatology. Data are from the Fitness, Arthritis and Seniors Trial, a trial among 439 persons 60 years or older with knee osteoarthritis randomized to health education (control), resistance exercise, or aerobic exercise groups. Depressive symptoms (assessed by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies--Depression scale) and physical function (disability, walking speed, and pain) were assessed at baseline and after 3, 9, and 18 months. Compared with results for the control group, aerobic exercise significantly lowered depressive symptoms over time. No such effect was observed for resistance exercise. The reduction in depressive symptoms with aerobic exercise was found both among the 98 participants with initially high depressive symptomatology and among the 340 participants with initially low depressive symptomatology and was the strongest for the most compliant persons. Aerobic and resistance exercise significantly reduced disability and pain and increased walking speed both, and to an equal extent, in persons with high depressive symptomatology and persons with low depressive symptomatology.

Effects of exercise and weight loss on depressive symptoms among men and women with hypertension

“…Our results are consistent with previous studies, which indicated that exercise can reduce depressive symptoms in healthy individuals [15,16,[40][41][42] as well as patients with conditions such as heart disease [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]43] and arthritis [44]. Because both hypertension [28,29] and elevated depressive symptoms [45,46] are independent risk factors for CHD, an exercise intervention that reduces blood pressure and depression may be especially beneficial among hypertensive patients, a group at elevated risk for the development of CHD.…”

Effects of weight training on quality of life in recent breast cancer survivors

“…16 In studies of patients who are depressed (noncancer survivors), some studies have reported that weight training, as well as aerobic exercise, had beneficial effects in reducing depressive symptoms, 31,32 whereas another study showed only aerobic exercise, and not weight training, improved depressive symptoms. 33 Because only 12.4% (n ϭ 10) of the WTBS study participants had depression (score Ն 16) at baseline, although the prevalence of depression in breast cancer survivors was about the same as previous report, 34 our ability to assess the effect of weight training on depressive symptoms was limited. Furthermore, to evaluate mood state we used a symptom scale rather than an affects balance mood scale such as the Positive and Negative Affects Scale (PA-NAS), the Derogatis Affects Balance Scale (DABS), and the Profile of Mood States (POMS).…”

Depression and Use of a Health Plan–Sponsored Physical Activity Program by Older Adults

“…The risk of lapse in Silver Sneakers attendance was 28%-55% (p<0.05) higher for depressed participants during months [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]. For nondepressed Silver Sneakers participants, attendance of at least 2 visits/week during Year 1 was significantly associated with lower risk of depression in Year 2 (OR=0.54; 95%CI= 0.37, 0.79; p=0.002); a similar but statistically nonsignificant association was observed for previously depressed participants (OR=0.51; 95%CI=0.26, 1.02; p=0.06).…”

“…[21][22][23] Evidence from controlled studies on carefully selected depressed adults and older adults suggest that exercise training improves depressive symptoms in the short term. [23][24][25][26][27][28][29] Prompted by the promise of health benefits with physical activity, many organizations, including health plans, have in recent years expanded their prevention benefits to include formal physical activity programs. Because such benefits can be costly to finance, decision makers need information on who actually use these benefits, barriers associated with use, and what pattern of use results in improved outcomes at the population level.…”