I always find it fascinating when studies confirm what those living healthy lives already know. A new study from Harvard does just that, as it finds that sedentary activities, like watching TV, increases one’s risk of depression, yet exercise has the opposite effect.

Daily Mail reports:

Watching TV can increase the risk of depression warn scientists.

A study by Harvard University found inactivity can cause a range of emotional and physical symptoms associated with the condition.

Whereas exercise has a positive impact boosting self-esteem, sense of control and endorphin levels.

Findings revealed that those who exercised the most — 90 minutes or more each day — were 20 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with depression than those who exercised 10 minutes or less a day.

Meanwhile women who watched three hours or more of television a day were 13 percent more likely to be diagnosed with depression than those who hardly ever tuned in.

I do not control how much TV my children watch. They chose not to watch.   There are no battles.

People are often in disbelief over this. My kids have access to a [amazon_link id=”B0009VXBAQ” target=”_blank” ]Wii[/amazon_link], DVR full of recorded shows, etc., yet they would rather be outside riding their bikes or engaging with real people. It’s as if they know what this study demonstrates about what makes one happy, that and the positive people they have in their lives who understand this as well.

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