OULU — A new study by the University of Oulu and the ODL Department of Sports and Exercise Medicine found that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is more strongly linked to reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety in middle age than light activity or reduced sedentary time.
The study found that participants who spent more time each day engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, relative to sedentary behavior and light activity, reported fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety. Replacing 30 minutes of sedentary time with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was associated with a 9% reduction in depressive symptoms and a 5% reduction in anxiety symptoms.
Replacing sedentary behavior with light activity, such as leisurely walking, produced only small and limited mental health benefits compared with moderate-to-vigorous activity. According to adjunct professor Maisa Niemelä, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is “intense enough to leave you slightly out of breath.” She added, “Even a 30-minute daily adjustment can be meaningful.”
The findings were consistent across all symptom measures used in the study, which assessed mental health using three widely used self-report questionnaires. Participants’ physical activity and sedentary behavior were monitored with activity monitors over a two-week period when they were 46 years old. The study included nearly 4,500 participants from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966.
Researchers emphasized that mental health is influenced not just by individual exercise sessions but by the overall balance of daily time use. Sleep, sedentary behavior, light activity, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity form a continuous 24-hour cycle, where changes in one area affect the others. Sleeping just 5 to 30 minutes less than the average of 7 hours and 30 minutes per night was associated with a slight increase in depression and anxiety symptoms.
Doctoral Researcher Clarence Tan said, “Getting enough sleep and increasing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is an ideal lifestyle change for supporting mental health in middle age.” The study also cautioned that increasing physical activity should not come at the expense of sleep, urging a balanced approach to the full 24-hour day. The research was published in the journal Depression and Anxiety.