The fitness routine of meditation followed by running may be effective in treating people diagnosed with depression, a new study suggests. In the study, volunteers, some of whom had been given diagnoses of depression, took part in a treatment program twice a week for eight weeks where they did entry-level for 30 minutes before exercising on treadmills or stationary bicycles for another 30 minutes. At the end of the program, the volunteers with depression had a remarkable 40 percent reduction in symptoms of the condition, reporting less inclination to ruminate over bad memories and better ability to focus. The researchers theorize that the exercise increased the number of brain cells in each volunteer’s hippocampus, which is critical for learning and memory, while the meditation may have helped to keep more of those neurons alive and functioning. Moving from focused breathing during meditation to exercise may have also made the exercise more tolerable and even enjoyable, helping to improve the volunteer’s moods.
Meditation plus running as a treatment for depression
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