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Background: The benefits of physical exercise in reducing clinically defined depression in the general population have been established, although a review of the evidence for older adults is needed.

Objectives: To assess the efficacy of physical exercise for the treatment of depressive symptoms in older adults (>60 years).

Data sources: We searched: MEDLINE (1966—May 2008); EMBASE (1980—May 2008); Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature (CINAHL; 1982—May 2008); PsycINFO (1966—May 2008), The Cochrane Library (Issue 2, 2008), and National Research Register (NRR; Issue 2, 2008).

Review methods: Randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies of physical exercise interventions for depression were included where 80% or more of participants were >60 years. Abstracts were assessed to determine …