07/18/2025
Depression is essentially being in a state of chronic shutdown, a result of chronic dorsal vagal activation (one branch of our nervous system.) One of the best ways to upregulate your nervous system out of dorsal shutdown is through light active movement - like dancing, walking, exercising, etc.
Through 218 different studies with 14,170 participants, the researchers found that moderate reductions were made across the board with exercise, more so than simply prescribing participants with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
Dancing stood at the top of the data charts in terms of the largest reductions in depression symptoms, while exercises like walking or jogging, yoga, and aerobic exercise with therapy were runners-up. In different demographics, the effects of exercises and standard treatment differed.
