If you are currently plagued by stress and depression, there is no harm in trying a cheap solution to this one. Walk regularly in the morning, while breathing fresh air!

Yes, some light exercise like walking may help reduce symptoms of depression. This is the conclusion of a recent study by scientists from the University of Stirling in Scotland.

As is known, regular exercise, especially that done in an active and energetic shown to assist patients in reducing symptoms of depression. However, the benefits of light activity for the recovery of depression remains unclear.

A recent study published in the journal Mental and Physical Activity suggests, walk proved to have great benefits for the recovery of depressive symptoms.

Researchers revealed that one in 10 people may have experienced depression at some point in their lives. This condition can be overcome by using drugs, but most doctors generally advise to exercise when experiencing symptoms of mild depression.

The researcher explained, walking is an effective intervention to treat depression and effect is the same when a person commits an energetic workout.

"Walking has the advantage of being easily performed by most people because it does not cost the sakali and relatively easy to apply in daily life activities," said Professor Adrian Taylor of the University of Exeter, who was not involved in the study.

However, Taylor reminded the need for more research on the benefits of walking. Because there are still many questions about how long it should run, how fast and whether it is running must be done indoors or outdoors.

"The beauty of walking is that anyone can do it. Walking has benefits for mental health conditions such as depression," said Taylor, who had been the focus of studying the effect of exercise on depression, addiction and stress of the University of Exeter.

How exercise can help to overcome depression remains unclear. However, Taylor said, may exercise can be a distraction from feelings of anxiety or worry, give a sense of control and release of hormones that give a sense of tranquility.

"It's important to find the type of exercise you enjoy doing. Try different things, such as walking, bicycling, gardening," continued Paul Farmer, of a social organization that cares about mental health.

"Exercising with others can have a greater impact, as it provides us an opportunity to strengthen social networks. So invite a friend to join you," he concluded.

Sleep breathing problems linked with depression

Experiencing breathing problems during sleep may raise your risk of depression, a new study suggests.

Women with sleep apnea, in which breathing becomes shallow or pauses briefly during sleep, were 5.2 times as likely to have depression compared with women without the condition. Men with sleep apnea were 2.4 times as likely to have depression as men without the condition, according to the study from researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Participants in the study who had other breathing problems during sleep also had an increased risk of depression. However, the researchers found no increased likelihood of depression among people who snore.

"Snorting, gasping or stopping breathing while asleep was associated with nearly all depression symptoms, including feeling hopeless and feeling like a failure," said study researcher Anne Wheaton, an epidemiologist with the CDC. "We expected persons with sleep-disordered breathing to report trouble sleeping or sleeping too much, or feeling tired and having little energy, but not the other symptoms."

Both depression and breathing problems during sleep are common, and both are underdiagnosed, the researchers wrote. Screening people who have for one disorder for the other could lead to better diagnosis and treatments, they said.

The researchers took into account other factors that might influence the results, such as age, sex and weight. The results are in line with those of the other studies, the researchers said.

The study found an association, not a cause-and-effect link. However, the researchers wrote that evidence from other research suggests that breathing problems during sleep may contribute to the development of depression. For example, one previous study found a link between the severity of breathing problems during sleep and the odds of later developing depression. And other studies have shown that people who received treatment for sleep apnea showed improvement in their depression.

"Mental health professionals often ask about certain sleep problems, such as unrefreshing sleep and insomnia, but likely do not realize that [breathing problems during sleep] may have an impact on their patients' mental health," the researchers wrote in their conclusion.

Although exactly how the link might work is unclear, it could partly be explained by the fact that people with breathing problems experience sleep that is fragmented, or may have low levels of oxygen in the blood during sleep.

The researchers used data collected from 9,714 adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which is an ongoing study conducted by the CDC.

Participants were considered to have depression based on their answers to a questionnaire asking about how often they experienced symptoms of depression.

Six percent of men and 3 percent of women in the study reported having physician-diagnosed sleep apnea.

The study was limited in that participants' depression and sleep problems were measured at only one point in time, and in that it relied on self-reported symptoms. People may not be aware they have breathing problems during sleep, and there was no information about whether participants were being treated for depression.