Can Exercise Actually Help My Depression?
In my own struggles with depression, I was desperate and grasping at straws hoping and praying I would find a solution. I tried to go the route of therapy, but things didn’t work out seeking medical support. So I continued searching. I tried so many things, but one of them was exercise in different forms. I found a few that helped and kept searching for a perfect fit I could stick with.
So the question is… “Is turning to therapy and medication the most effective solution for fighting depression?” Studies are beginning to show that you can fight depression at home with a change in your activity level.
It’s true! Physical activity can have a profound impact on your ability to overcome what ails you.
If you’re feeling depressed, it might be time to incorporate exercise into your lifestyle.
Exercise comes in many different forms and you can find a regimen that fits you. Avoid overdoing it when it comes to exercise; just ease into some physical activity and see how you feel. For me I started with taking walks. I still do several walks a week. This is low-key and most anyone can start walking easily.
Try these effective strategies to fight depression with exercise:
1. Experience the runner's high
Following a good workout, your body will experience what is known as a runner’s high, which results from an endorphin surge in your body. The temporary mood lift that this endorphin surge provides can be beneficial in reducing depression on a short-term basis.
When you're feeling tense, overwhelmed, or down in general, seek a temporary pick me up in the form of a workout.
Go for a short walk, hop on a treadmill or elliptical, or ride your bicycle. Even yoga, Pilates, and strength training workouts can provide you with a boost of endorphins to pick up your mood.
I used to do 50 jumping jacks for a quick boost. I may have started with 20, then 30, then 50. So find what works good for you and build up. Other times for more fun I would put on some music and just dance like crazy for 5 or 6 songs. By the end I was exhausted, but it was very fun!
Working out for at least 30 minutes to combat symptoms of depression can also provide you with a boost in energy and concentration. Who doesn’t need that, but also know this can actually reduce some of the negative feelings associated with depression.
I took walks fairly regularly, but it was the jumping jacks and highly active dancing that really got the heart rate up, built a little sweat, and gave me that energy boost I needed to start changing my mood or feeling a bit happier. Don’t overlook the small activities like walking though. Starting any bit of activity can be great if you are inactive currently. There is no shame in starting small or doing what you can right now.
2. Improve your overall well being
Strength training is a great way to improve your health and well being, which can reduce symptoms of depression. Lifting dumbbells, for example, can build long, lean muscle, which improves metabolism and builds a stronger and healthier body.
20 years ago, I worked out regularly. I own adjustable dumbbells and barbells and lots of weights. I had a book I used to follow a regular weight lifting routine to work different parts of my body on different days. The book was Workouts with Weights.
When I moved to Texas, I gave up my weight or strength training because I just didn’t have the room in the house. I joined the gym a few times, but I could never get a solid workout routine to stick. The Texas heat and lack of mountains in Fort Worth, kind of killed my mountain biking as well. Maybe this was part of what lead me to depression.
While strength training may not directly impact your symptoms of depression, its ability to improve your health can have long-term effects on your overall well being.
Beyond, strength training, there are many other areas of well being – eating healthy, getting good sleep and enough of it, building healthy relationships, setting boundaries, consuming positive media. These are exercises on to themselves so look into them as well. Meditation for mindset self-care was powerful for me as well.
3. Exercise daily
Exercise at least 30 minutes each day, six days per week. According to the Journal of Preventive Medicine, several weeks after you establish this regular exercise routine, you’ll begin to feel relief of your depression symptoms on a much more consistent basis.
Again, start small if you need to, but build up to a consistent practice if you can as this is where you will see the best results.
4. Replace medications with exercise? Is it possible?
The Journal of Preventive Medicine recently featured a study of patients with depression who worked out for at least 3 hours per week. This study found that the remission of these patients’ symptoms was comparable to cognitive behavioral therapies and medication treatments.
While exercise may not be able to completely replace your need for other treatment options, it can benefit your mental well being in many ways, making it an excellent way to balance the therapies that you rely on for relief.
If you’re currently in treatment or taking medication, discuss any changes in therapy or medications with your doctor before you change them.
In a Harvard Health Publishing article titled – Exercise is an All-Natural Treatment to Fight Depression – we find interesting thoughts and quote related to this topic.
“In people who are depressed, neuroscientists have noticed that the hippocampus in the brain—the region that helps regulate mood—is smaller. Exercise supports nerve cell growth in the hippocampus, improving nerve cell connections, which helps relieve depression,” explains Dr. Michael Craig Miller.
5. Develop a routine
Developing a regular routine for exercise can have numerous benefits. Not only will you be combating your depression with exercise itself, but also having a routine to look forward to can boost your spirits and ward off the overwhelming feelings of depression.
In the medical article The Benefits of Exercise for the Clinically Depressed by Lynette L. Craft, Ph.D. and Frank M. Perna, Ed.D., Ph.D., they state – “Data regarding the positive mood effects of exercise involvement, independent of fitness gains, suggest that the focus should be on frequency of exercise rather than duration or intensity until the behavior has been well established.”
The Bottom Line
Depression can negatively impact your life in many ways. Experiment with different therapy and treatment options to get the help you need. Exercise is a great way to reduce the symptoms associated with depression: helping to clear your mind and improve your energy, while also giving you a general sense of well being.
If you don’t already have a regular exercise regimen and you’re suffering from depression, then this is a treatment option that is well worth considering. It may work well in conjunction with current treatment options or it may replace those treatment options altogether. Please consult with your physician to learn more. Don’t ever go off meds or stop therapy on your own to try to replace it with exercise. Your health and mental health are important seek professional advice when possible.
I share these ideas only as ways to help or maybe offer some best practice ideas, if you are not yet talking to a doctor about these issues and if you are not already using medication. As I mentioned, I struggled to get medical help and so exercise is one tool I used to help mange my health. I am not a trained expert I am only speaking from my lived experiences and everyone’s symptoms, lifestyle, and experiences are unique to them.
You can try exercise if you are in fair shape. Try Yoga or some other program to see how it makes you feel. If you are in treatment already, run it past your doctor/therapist what exercise program you are thinking of adding and get their feedback or recommendations.
How do I get started — and stay motivated?
Mayo clinic has a good article titled – Depression and Anxiety: Exercise Eases Symptoms. In this article the author shares ways to get started and I recommend reading the article for the full ideas, but I will share the bullet point ideas to getting started and staying motivated.
Starting and sticking with an exercise routine or regular physical activity can be a challenge. These steps can help (see main article for in depth tips related to these points):
- Identify what you enjoy doing.
- Get your mental health professional’s support.
- Set reasonable goals.
- Don’t think of exercise or physical activity as a chore.
- Analyze your barriers.
- Prepare for setbacks and obstacles.
Need a few ideas of Exercise Programs to try?
I’m working with some trainers and will be offering other workouts I’m really excited about in the near future. Stay tuned for these other solutions to round out your program or just give you some options that might better fit your lifestyle.
In the meantime check out the Mindful Yoga Program where you can learn 44 different yoga poses in the comfort of your home and build your own unique practice.
If you feel you need something that is a little more structured and a little more energetic or strength training than yoga, try our latest workout program called TABATA where you do 20 seconds of intense training and then get 10 seconds of downtime for a powerful workout in small bites. This is an 8-week training with a formal schedule and tracking worksheets. It’s fun and has a good personal trainer.
Enjoy and best of luck! I hope some of these ideas helps you minimize your symptoms and puts you on a more healthy path.
