People battling depression and anxiety turn to therapy and medication for help. But a new study has found that exercise could be better at managing mental conditions than the traditional methods of treatment.

通常，与抑郁和焦虑作斗争的人，会求助于心理治疗和药物治疗。但一项新的研究发现，锻炼可能比传统的治疗方法更能控制精神状况。

Published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the recent systematic review examined how physical activity impacted and improved depression, anxiety and psychological distress.

最近发表在《英国运动医学杂志》上的一篇系统综述，研究了体育活动如何影响和改善抑郁、焦虑和心理困扰。

The research team indicated that they wanted to provide evidence of the positive effects of exercise on depression, anxiety and psychological distress symptoms among adults.

研究小组表示，他们希望找到证据，证明锻炼对成年人的抑郁、焦虑和心理困扰症状有积极影响。

The large-scale review examined 1,039 research trials involving 128,119 participants, with a focus on mental health disorders and people with various chronic conditions. The team found that physical activity had positive effects on all three mental conditions. But people with depression had the highest benefit among them.

这项大规模综述调查了1039项研究试验，涉及128119名参与者，重点是精神健康障碍和患有各种慢性疾病的人。研究小组发现，体育活动对这三种心理状况都有积极影响。但抑郁症患者从中受益最多。

The researchers noticed that more intense physical activity leads to greater improvements in symptoms. However, the effectiveness of exercise diminished with longer-duration interventions.

研究人员注意到 ，更激烈的体育活动可以更好的改善症状。然而，效果会随着干预时间的延长而减弱。

The team pointed out brisk walking had a higher benefit than simple walking. Exercising for six to 12 weeks also greatly improved the symptoms compared to shorter exercise periods. Hence, they noted that longer-term exercise is crucial for better mental health.

研究小组指出，快走比简单的步行更有益。与较短的运动时间相比，保持6到12周的锻炼，症状即有大大改善。因此，他们指出，长期锻炼对心理健康至关重要。

“Physical activity is highly beneficial for improving symptoms of depression, anxiety and distress across a wide range of adult populations, including the general population, people with diagnosed mental health disorders and people with chronic disease. Physical activity should be a mainstay approach in the management of depression, anxiety and psychological distress,” the researchers wrote.

“体育活动对改善广大成年人的抑郁、焦虑和痛苦症状非常有益，普通人群、被诊断为精神健康障碍的人和慢性病患者均适用。”研究人员写道：“体育锻炼应该是控制抑郁、焦虑和心理痛苦的主要方法。”

Traditional treatments for depression and anxiety, including therapy and medication, are quite effective. What the new study found was a simpler and more effective alternative that may not require that much money.

抑郁症和焦虑症的传统治疗方法，包括心理治疗和药物治疗，都是相当有效的。目前这项新研究，发现了一种更简单、更有效的替代方法，而且可能不需要那么多钱。