I broadly agree with you on the weakness of the evidence, but I'd strongly recommend exercise to everyone anyway. The overall health benefits are immense, even

I broadly agree with you on the weakness of the evidence, but I'd strongly recommend exercise to everyone anyway. The overall health benefits are immense, even if it turns out that it doesn't do much for depression. Higher physical activity in the general population is likely to have a significant preventative effect on depression, because chronic physical illness is one of the most significant risk factors for developing a depressive illness and exercise has a strong preventative effect on chronic physical illness.