In an article published today in the American Journal of Psychiatry, researchers from Norwegian and English institutions say they’ve found that as little as one hour a week of exercise has a preventative effect on depression.  A summary of the article is available through Neuroscience News at http://neurosciencenews.com/exercise-depression-7643/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+neuroscience-rss-feeds-neuroscience-news+%28Neuroscience+News+Updates%29.

A great deal has been written about the link between mental health, well-being, and exercise.  You may also be interested in the first three chapters of the book Spark! by John Ratey, which also address ways that exercise can improve one’s outlook and, in the case of Spark!, improve academic performance.  If you’re local, I have a copy of Spark! in my office.