With age, people have a tendency to lose their physical fitness as well as their mental health, and researchers at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden believe that the two conditions may be linked.
In a study of 17,500 people with an average age of 64, a team of scientists found that individuals who were self-motivated to exercise were less likely to develop depression when compared to their more sedentary counterparts.
"This study is one of the first to look at both how physical activity affects future depression and vice-versa, and how change in physical activity is associated with change in depression over time," said researcher Magnus Lindwall.
The scientists said that whether people believed in motivational stories about success played a key role in how likely they were to be physically active.
Results of this study suggest that older people struggling with their physical and mental health may be in need of inspirational stories about change that will get them geared up to exercise.
