O exercí­cio fí­sico como recurso terapêutico no tratamento da depressão

Objective: To analyze the perception of Physical Education professionals regarding the impacts of physical exercises in the treatment of depression. Methods: This is an exploratory field research with a qualitative approach. The research scenario was composed by the Psychosocial Care Centers of a municipality in Ceara and the participants were Physical Education professionals, working in these services. The data collection technique was the structured interview. The interviews were recorded and later transcribed for analysis. Results: Service users have positive and significant impacts with the practice of physical exercises. The physical exercises performed are predominantly aerobic and collective, accompanied by music. Participants are evaluated before, during and after the interventions, with the information recorded in the medical records. Conclusion: Physical exercises are good resources in the treatment of depression, providing the user with numerous benefits, including mood stabilization and anxiety reduction.