PANDEMIC HAS RENEWED FOCUS ON EXERCISE AS A TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION.

By Chandrayee Roy Choudhury, Canada: British Columbia researchers say there is good evidence,that simple moderate exercise can alleviate depression.

Judy Mulloy's voice breaks and her eyes well up with tears as she describes how a simple walk in the park and chair yoga has helped her through the pandemic.

"Oh, it's a happy cry, I assure you," she said. "My life has changed around. It's no longer a thing of sadness."

Mulloy, 56, first turned to physical activity years ago to manage her depression. She says staying active in her hometown of Nelson, B.C., hasn't eliminated her need for a daily antidepressant. 

"But the thing that can boost my mood is to go for a walk. Go for a swim. Do some exercise," she said.

"When you kind of take yourself out of your mind and into your body doing physical things, you get a break from all of that chatter. It kind of creates that calm within yourself."

Unlike a pill, prescribing exercise has to be tailored to a patient's abilities by doctors who know how to motivate people.