Do THIS exercise to avoid depression

DEPRESSION IS EXHAUSTING: Anyone who has suffered from depression knows what an exhausting battle it is-- day in, day out--and is all too familiar with a black cloud hovering all day long, waiting to catch you off-guard, vulnerable and overwhelmed.

THE BATTLE WITHIN YOURSELF: While physical illness and its effects are very much visible, the battle within yourself is far more difficult as nobody quite understands the effort it takes to drag yourself out of the bed and get on with the daily chores.

THERE ARE NO DEVICES AVAILABLE TO MEASURE HOW DEPRESSED YOU ARE: Depression and mental health issues are invisible, and sadly, while you can show the scar on your hand and a thermometer can measure your temperature; there is no device yet available that can measure how depressed you are, or how the sun that's shining on everyone refuses to shine on you. We do know that exercising helps a great deal with coping with depression, stress or dealing with emotions.

CHOOSE BASKETBALL OVER CYCLING FOR BETTER MENTAL HEALTH: In a study published in the journal Lancet Psychiatry found that team sports work the best in improving mental health. It was deciphered that team sports like soccer and basketball fared provided greater benefits when compared to other sports such as cycling, running or walking.

RATING THE BAD DAYS: The researchers analyzed data regarding the exercise habits and mental health of 1.2 million adults across all the American states, where the respondents were asked to rate the number of days when their mental health wasn't good due to any reason.

TEAM SPORTS CAN DO WONDERS: It was found that compared to those people who did not exercise, respondents who played team sports reported 22.3 per cent fewer poor mental health days, followed by those who ran and jogged (19 per cent) and then those who did housework (11.8 per cent).

EXERCISING MORE DOESN'T ALWAYS HELP: Surprisingly, the study also found that exercising more is not always good for mental health as over 90 minutes of exercise does not show any extra benefit, while exercising for around 45 minutes for three to five times a week was associated with the biggest benefits.

THE BOTTOM LINE: So, if you are aiming to improve your mental health, we suggest you try a team sport for better results, as the social component in these games proves to be really beneficial.