'Regular exercise may reduce depression risk'

Regular exercise may reduce the risk of depression, even in people who are genetically prone to the condition, according to a new study.

"Our findings strongly suggest that, when it comes to depression, genes are not destiny and that being physically active has the potential to neutralize the added risk of future episodes in individuals who are genetically vulnerable," study lead author Karmel Choi, postdoctoral fellow in psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, said in a statement.

The study discovered that certain genes boost risk of depression of a person while increased levels of exercise essentially cancelled out that genetic risk, Live Science reported.

According to the study, for every four hours of exercise per week, participants saw a reduction of 17 per cent in their chances of experiencing bouts of depression over the next two years.

The study was published on Tuesday in the journal Depression and Anxiety. Readmore