From quick boosts in mood to alleviating long-term depression, many studies have shown the powerful impact of exercise on mental health.\u00a0For some people, the antidepressant effects of exercise can be just as effective as conventional treatments like therapy or medication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But \u201cexercise is very rarely prescribed,\u201d says Jonathan Roiser, a Professor of Neuroscience and Mental Health at University College London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s one thing he hopes his new research project will help to change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Professor Roiser\u2019s project \u2013\u00a0funded by a Wellcome Mental Health Award\u00a0\u2013 will investigate how physical exercise exerts its antidepressant effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To do that, Roiser and his research team will run one of the largest trials of its kind on depression and physical activity. Over eight weeks, they will assess changes in brain systems that process reward and effort in 250 participants with depression to better understand how exercise delivered by coaches can alleviate symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n