It’s been long known that exercise can aide in treating depression (and lengthening your life, help you beat stress, slow prostate cancer, and more), but now more evidence suggests that it can prevent depression later in life.
A study conducted at the University of Toronto reviewed more than thirty studies representing over twenty-six years of research on the subject of exercise and depression. Twenty-six of the studies suggested that exercise can prevent depression, even at a low level (say, two hours of walking per week).
Of course, when it comes to depression, plenty of other factors, like genetics, come into play. That said, with so many demonstrated benefits, scheduling a little more exercise can’t hurt.