According to a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, physical activity was 1.5 times more effective than counseling or the leading medications. The review, which included 97 studies, 1039 trials, and 128,119 individuals, was the most comprehensive study to date. It demonstrated how much physical activity can help to reduce depressive, anxious, and distressed symptoms.

In particular, the research demonstrated that exercise programs lasting 12 weeks or less were most successful at reducing mental health symptoms, emphasizing the speed at which physical activity might produce a change. Dr. Ben Singh, the principal investigator at UniSA, stated that physical activity should be prioritized to help manage the rising number of mental health issues.

He added that in all clinical populations, the research demonstrated that physical exercise therapies can considerably reduce symptoms of sadness and anxiety, with some groups displaying even larger signals of recovery. When compared to short and mid-duration bursts, higher-intensity exercise had bigger gains for depression and anxiety, but longer durations had less of an impact. Crucially, he concluded that the research showed that exercising regularly can significantly improve one’s mental health. 

(Source: https://theprint.in/health/exercise-more-helpful-to-tackle-mental-issues-than-medication-study/1416668/ )