NEW research from the Netherlands has highlighted an effective way to ward off depression in midlife, and all it requires is a simply daily swap.
The study found that replacing just one hour of TV with other activities, such as sports, leisure exercise, household chores or even sleep, can reduce the risk of depression by 20% in middle-aged adults.
Increasing this to 90 minutes resulted in a 29% reduction, while two hours of other activities instead of watching TV slashed the risk by 43%.
Choosing to play sport over watching TV for any given time resulted in the largest reductions in depression risk, potentially due to its social aspect, therefore offering added protection against loneliness.
"These findings support promoting diverse physical activities in this age group," the researchers from the University of Groningen said.
"Reducing TV time may be a particularly effective public health strategy for middle-aged and older adults."
It was suggested that mentally passive activities, such as watching TV, could increase the likelihood of developing depression, possibly due to dopamine dysregulation, social isolation, and indulging more in unhealthy foods.
"Therefore, targeting TV watching, rather than total sedentary time, may offer a more specific and effective basis for interventions," the researchers concluded.
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