Think of a physiotherapist and you probably think of someone who’s interested in muscles and joints; someone who gets you moving again after an injury, right? Well, my guest this week is a physio with a difference. He’s concerned with the effect movement has, not on our bodies… but our minds.

Brendon Stubbs is head of physiotherapy at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, a clinical lecturer and a prolific researcher. His work is helping provide the medical profession with much-needed evidence for what we, as humans, feel instinctively: physical activity makes us feel good. For instance, did you know moderate exercisers are 30 per cent less likely to suffer a depressive episode? Or that being sedentary can actually cause depression? Finally, we have proof that exercise is as effective as many existing interventions for preventing and treating mental health conditions. And I would argue it goes one step further, by also boosting physical health and social connections.

Whether you or someone you know is struggling with mental illness, you’re a healthcare professional, or you simply want to increase your emotional resilience, I think you’ll be persuaded into action by the surprising stories and evidence Brendon shares. And if you’re persuaded, please spread the word – let’s start a movement revolution.

Watch the video version of this interview in full below.

Watch the interview on YouTube

Further Learning:

• Telegraph – Exercising for 20 minutes-a-day cuts risk of developing depression by one third
• Psychiatry Online – Physical Activity and Incident Depression: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies
• Jama – Assessment of Bidirectional Relationships Between Physical Activity and Depression Among Adults: A 2-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study
• The British Journal of Psychiatry – The effect of experimentally induced sedentariness on mood and psychobiological responses to mental stress
• BMC Medical – SMILES trial – A randomised controlled trial of dietary improvement for adults with major depression
• The British Journal of Psychiatry – Exercise and internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy for depression (Regassa): a multicenter randomised controlled trial with 12-month follow-up
• PNAS Journal – Rapid stimulation of human dentate gyrus function with acute mild exercise (Japanese study)
• Science Direct – Effect of aerobic exercise on hippocampal volume in humans: A systematic review and meta-analysis
• Maturitas Journal – Dance Movement Therapy and Falls Prevention
• Science Direct – Physical activity and depression: Towards understanding the antidepressant mechanisms of physical activity
• Kings College London – Blood test to personalise depression treatment for the first time
• Dr Chatterjee’s BBC appearance: Is Inflammation the underlying cause of Depression?

Articles:

• BBC – New blood test targets depression
• CSP – Exercise decreases the risk of depression regardless of age