One study examined the effects of antidepressants versus running therapy on both mental and physical health.
In the randomized study, 141 patients with depression and/or anxiety disorders were selected and offered 16 weeks of preferred treatment:
Antidepressant medication (escitalopram or sertraline) or 2 groups of running therapy per week.
Baseline and post-treatment assessment at 16 weeks included mental (diagnostic status and symptom severity) and physical health indicators (metabolic and immune indicators, heart rate (variability), weight, lung function, hand grip strength, fitness).
A minority of participants were willing to be randomized; the therapy conducted was broader due to a greater preference for this intervention.
Although the interventions had comparable effects on mental health, running therapy outperformed antidepressants on physical health, both due to greater improvements in the running therapy group and greater deterioration in the antidepressant group.
