The effects of exercise on depression in a geriatric population

This randomized control trial determined if an exercise program decreases depression in a geriatric population. Twenty-six subjects between the ages of 65–85 years were recruited from a nursing home in Southeastern Ontario, Canada. Thirteen subjects were randomly assigned to form the experimental group and participate in 20 minutes of walking, three days a week, for four weeks. The remaining 13 subjects randomly formed the control group and engaged in their regular activities of daily living (ADL). The Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form (GDS-SF) was administered to both groups at pretest and posttest to determine the level of depression in subjects. An independent groups t-test revealed statistically significant differences between the experimental and control group (p = 0.0007). Collectively, the results indicate that a group exercise program, which consists of subjects walking for 20 minutes, three days a week, for four weeks, is effective in decreasing levels of depression in a geriatric population.