We all know exercise is just plain good for us, but more and more research is concluding that exercise can help reduce depression and be a good step in moving you out of bed and back into your life. Many times the last thing we want to do when depression has taken hold is exercise. I can personally attest to that. I consider myself a gym rat. My normal schedule has me in the gym 5 – 6 days a week doing strength and cardio training and throwing in a kick boxing or yoga class to keep things interesting, but during my last bout with depression, I didn’t see the gym for 3 months. My mind had me convinced of all kinds of reasons I shouldn’t go. I lost one of the most important things I do for me which just added to my depression.  There is tons of research on this but one of the best articles I have read on this was posted in Everyday Health;Many studies since the 1980s have reached roughly the same conclusion: People getting at least a moderate amount of exercise have fewer symptoms of depression. One investigation, involving 2,084 men and women ages 65 and older, found that among the participants who initially reported symptoms of depression, those who walked daily had a third fewer symptoms after three years. The Harvard Alumni Health Study turned up similar results. The men who burned 1,000–2,500 calories per week through aerobic activity lowered their risk for depression by 17%. In participants who burned more than 2,500 calories a week, the risk of experiencing depression dropped by 28%. Not only can exercise help ward off depression, but it is also an effective treatment in many cases. A review of studies stretching back to 1981 concluded that regular exercise can improve mood in people with mild to moderate depression. It also may play a supporting role in treating severe depression. In fact, some studies have found that exercise can relieve symptoms of mild to moderate depression as effectively as medication.

Not everything works for everyone, but the great thing about getting up and doing something is whether it helps your depression or not, it is still good for you.  

Tags: anxiety, bipolar, depression, healing, mental health, recovery, wellness

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 7th, 2010 at 8:57 pm and is filed under Sheri's Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.