THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHYSICAL EXERCISE AND DEPRESSION IN OLDER ADULTS

There is a scarcity of systematic analysis of the relation between physical exercise and mental health. To address this gap, we ask whether physical exercise associates with lower levels of depression among older adults. We hypothesize that physical exercise especially if it typically incorporates other forms of socialisation, may be a socially meaningful activity and may create intimacy that provides social uplift.

We test this hypothesis against alternative hypotheses that relationship characteristics or physical health could account for any association between physical exercise and depression. In addition, we consider whether there are gender dynamics that affect the association between physical exercise and depression. We analyse data from a sample of 243 old adults, male and female, aged 57 to 75 from a survey conducted in Buckinghamshire, England.

Given findings of significant gendered aspects of depression, physical exercise, social support, and aging, we estimate separate results for women and men. Although we find differences between results for men and women for many control variables that correspond to gendered differences in depression, physical exercise that typically incorporates other forms of social interactions has a robust association with lower depression for both women and men.