Sport antidote for anxiety and depression, it's also good to watch it in the armchair: 'Prescribe it like medication'

It is not just a question of muscles, but of the brain, synapses and neurotransmitters. The Italian Society of Neuropsychopharmacology (Sinpf) launches an appeal to specialists: prescribe physical activity as systematically as a drug to combat anxiety disorders and depression, among both young and old. And it does so at its 27th national congress, which will end on 30 January, just a few days before the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Sinpf's warning is based on a solid scientific basis that, just in the last year, has been enriched by new evidence that draws a clear line between sedentariness and psychiatric pathology. 'The most recent scientific literature speaks clearly: physical exercise acts on the dopaminergic and serotonergic systems with an effectiveness that we can no longer ignore,' say Sinpf presidents, Matteo Balestrieri and Claudio Mencacci. Sport should no longer be generic advice, but a clinical prescription that is an integral part of the treatment protocol for patients with mood disorders'.

A study conducted by the University of Sichuan, published a few weeks ago in the Journal of Affective Disorders, has shown that even small increases in physical activity drastically reduce the risk of depression in young people, acting as a real 'biological shield' during brain development. 'Adolescence is a critical window of vulnerability for the onset of mood disorders,' says Matteo Balestrieri, former professor of psychiatry at the University of Udine and Sinpf co-president. 'In this context, the Chinese study offers a hopeful perspective. Indeed, this meta-analysis shows that young people who engage in regular physical activity have a 15% to 22% greater reduction in the risk of developing depressive disorders than their sedentary peers. The protective effect is statistically significant even with modest increases in activity: just 20 minutes of moderate activity three times a week shows a statistically significant protective effect'.

Another recent meta-analysis, conducted on almost 70,000 adults, confirms that exercise reduces anxiety symptoms with moderate and consistent effects, comparable in many cases to first-line interventions. The results, published in the journal Psychiatry Research, show that around 40 per cent of patients with high anxiety experience a clinically detectable improvement in symptoms after a structured exercise programme. 'This systematic review,' emphasises Claudio Mencacci, psychiatrist, director emeritus of the department of neuroscience at the Fatebenefratelli Sacco hospital in Milan, Italy. confirms that regular physical activity acts on several fronts: from the reduction of reactive stress, improving the ability to cope with the unexpected, to sleep hygiene, promoting a higher quality of rest, which is fundamental for psychic balance, to the improvement of cognitive functions, promoting greater mental clarity and decision-making capacity,' Mencacci goes on to emphasise. 'In essence, exercise reduces symptoms of anxiety regardless of the type of sport practised. Whether it is aerobic or endurance, the body 'unloads' the accumulated tension at the neurological level'.

The scientific literature not only shows that any kind of physical activity is good for mental health, regardless of the sport chosen, but also suggests that there are important benefits even in simply watching athletic performances. "International studies indicate that even the passive enjoyment of major sporting events such as the Olympics contributes to collective wellbeing, stimulating mirror neurons and reducing the sense of social isolation," add the Sinpf presidents, who therefore propose the integration of physical activity in psychiatric treatment pathways, emphasising its potential effect as an amplifier of traditional neuropsychopharmacological treatments, improving neuronal plasticity: "It is no longer sufficient to advise patients to move or practice a sport," conclude Balestrieri and Mencacci. We must start considering physical exercise as a pillar in the prevention and treatment of mental health, to be prescribed to patients as a supplement to pharmacological and psycho-behavioural therapy'.