The specific numbers in the post come from the 2024 BMJ network meta-analysis, not from any 2026 umbrella review. That paper included 218 unique studies with a total of 495 arms and 14,170 participants , and its stated objective was to identify the optimal dose and modality of exercise for treating major depressive disorder compared with psychotherapy, antidepressants and control conditions, using eligibility criteria of any randomised trial with exercise arms for participants meeting clinical cut-offs for major depression .

The modalities named in the post do map onto the paper's findings. Compared with active controls such as usual care or placebo tablet, moderate reductions in depression were found for walking or jogging (n=1210, Hedges' g −0.62, 95% credible interval −0.80 to −0.45), yoga (n=1047, g −0.55, −0.73 to −0.36), strength training (n=643, g −0.49, −0.69 to −0.29), mixed aerobic exercises (n=1286, g −0.43, −0.61 to −0.24), and tai chi or qigong (n=343, g −0.42, −0.65 to −0.21); effects were proportional to the intensity prescribed, and strength training and yoga appeared the most acceptable modalities .

Critically, the paper carries a major evidence-quality caveat that the post omits entirely: results appeared robust to publication bias, but only one study met the Cochrane criteria for low risk of bias, and as a result confidence in accordance with CINeMA was low for walking or jogging and very low for other treatments .

A separate 2026 umbrella review does exist, but with completely different numbers. It included 63 studies (81 meta-analyses, 1079 component studies and 79,551 participants) and reported exercise reduced depression (SMD −0.61, 95% CI −0.69 to −0.54) and anxiety (SMD −0.47, −0.59 to −0.36), with aerobic exercise showing the most substantial impact . The depression portion of that umbrella synthesis incorporated 57 pooled data analyses covering 800 individual studies and 57,930 participants aged 10 to 90, and all exercise formats were linked to improvements in mental health .