Depression & Exercise
ZiggyRS0307
Posts: 73 Member
Hey,
Just wondering how many people on here are suffering with depression, and if you have any tips to stay motivated.
I currently take antidepressants which do help, but also make me a bit spaced out and unmotivated to do any exercise. I always feel better when I’ve been to the gym but it’s the getting there that’s the problem.
Is anyone in a similar situation and have any advice?
Just wondering how many people on here are suffering with depression, and if you have any tips to stay motivated.
I currently take antidepressants which do help, but also make me a bit spaced out and unmotivated to do any exercise. I always feel better when I’ve been to the gym but it’s the getting there that’s the problem.
Is anyone in a similar situation and have any advice?
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Replies
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I’ve suffered from depression for many years. The toughest part is getting started. I always tell myself to just do a few minutes. Most of the time once you start you feel good and want to go longer. Feel free to add me.9
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I dont. I do it anyway. And then relax in the happy mood boosting knowledge that its done i feel beter for it and now i can relax knowing i succeeded today. Determination trumps motivation everytime, Motivation fades. Determination is harder to shake. You need to get yourself into a routine using motivation at the beginning, And continue it with determination and just doing it. I know my bad moods improve when i do it anyway. Get your butt dressed to work out chances are youll go.6
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Are you medically diagnosed with depression or do you just think you're depressed? The word depression is widely used nowadays, but rarely reflects the correct condition. Depression is a serious thing. Depressed people rarely go about forums and ask questions, depressed people rarely do anything.24
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I've recently began my fitness kick again after around 6 months of being completely out, due to a nasty wave of depression coming back. What got me started again was being able to do my workouts in the comfort of my own home. I don't want to go back to the gym unless I see a substantial improvement with doing my workouts daily for atleast 1 month. (but my goal is to get back with a gym in my area!!)
Just stop listening to the voices telling you that you can't achieve what you want, and start listening to the voice that wants the change. Atleast, it has helped me feel much stronger mentally.3 -
Are you medically diagnosed with depression or do you just think you're depressed? The word depression is widely used nowadays, but rarely reflects the correct condition. Depression is a serious thing. Depressed people rarely go about forums and ask questions, depressed people rarely do anything.
Medically diagnosed 5 years ago. Been on medication since then, as mentioned in my original post. Tried to come off it a few times which has always ended in disaster. I’d never throw the term around casually, I know how serious the condition is. It’s not just “feeling sad”, it’s physical conditions like muscle pains, insomnia, weight problems, stress induced acne - and all sort of horrible stuff. Please don’t generalise depressed people by saying we rarely going on forums and ask questions, sometimes it’s easier to ask complete strangers for help on the internet at 3am than it is to talk to the people closest to us.
I appreciate the corncern for throwing the word around, it’s something that upsets me too, but depression affects everyone differently and it upsets me even more to be stereotyped.46 -
ZiggyRS0307 wrote: »Are you medically diagnosed with depression or do you just think you're depressed? The word depression is widely used nowadays, but rarely reflects the correct condition. Depression is a serious thing. Depressed people rarely go about forums and ask questions, depressed people rarely do anything.
Medically diagnosed 5 years ago. Been on medication since then, as mentioned in my original post. Tried to come off it a few times which has always ended in disaster. I’d never throw the term around casually, I know how serious the condition is. It’s not just “feeling sad”, it’s physical conditions like muscle pains, insomnia, weight problems, stress induced acne - and all sort of horrible stuff. Please don’t generalise depressed people by saying we rarely going on forums and ask questions, sometimes it’s easier to ask complete strangers for help on the internet at 3am than it is to talk to the people closest to us.
I appreciate the corncern for throwing the word around, it’s something that upsets me too, but depression affects everyone differently and it upsets me even more to be stereotyped.
I definitely agree it is easier to put questions in a forum. You can ignore their answers if you don’t like them or they don’t understand lol.4 -
Thank you @jacqueline0821! That comment just hit a nerve a little...3
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ZiggyRS0307 wrote: »Are you medically diagnosed with depression or do you just think you're depressed? The word depression is widely used nowadays, but rarely reflects the correct condition. Depression is a serious thing. Depressed people rarely go about forums and ask questions, depressed people rarely do anything.
Medically diagnosed 5 years ago. Been on medication since then, as mentioned in my original post. Tried to come off it a few times which has always ended in disaster. I’d never throw the term around casually, I know how serious the condition is. It’s not just “feeling sad”, it’s physical conditions like muscle pains, insomnia, weight problems, stress induced acne - and all sort of horrible stuff. Please don’t generalise depressed people by saying we rarely going on forums and ask questions, sometimes it’s easier to ask complete strangers for help on the internet at 3am than it is to talk to the people closest to us.
I appreciate the corncern for throwing the word around, it’s something that upsets me too, but depression affects everyone differently and it upsets me even more to be stereotyped.
I'm trying to help. Check your inbox pls2 -
I often feel depressed, and have had medication in the past one product had me sitting at my dining room table so wigged out and even more sad, I said I can't keep taking this stuff. This was years ago. I just decided that this is who I am. But ever since I've been walking 5 days a week (to and from work, and at lunch), I feel so much better. I don't want to enroll in a gym right now (too many people during the hours I can go, necessarily not always getting a machine or weights right away). I didn't realize how effective the walking was till I went on vacation during holidays. Running around stressed is not the same as taking a walk in a peaceful mindful way. I am so low right now that I'm looking forward to work on Monday. I know I suffer from depression, my father did. I just refuse to take medication for it.
All this to say is, maybe walking somewhere where you otherwise would drive to can be a start?
Wishing you all the best.4 -
I started taking Provogil and 5htp and I finally stopped feeling like a sore zombie. A couple weeks later I started actually feeling like taking diet seriously, and for the first time ever, it stuck. It's been since May now
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I am very close to someone who has been diagnosed with clinical depression. I think if you asked him, he would tell you the worst part of it for him was the insomnia. Once he began taking medication he began sleeping and I willingly, happily listen to him recount the joys of a good night sleep! He's been on the medication for three years now but he still doesn't take sleep for granted. I sincerely feel for you; as hard as it was to watch him go through it, his suffering is/was many times worse. We know that he will be on the antidepressants for at least another five years.
I think the medication helps to keep him motivated, although that seems like an contradiction. Also, he has a family that loves and supports him. If you don't have family or friend support, find a support group. If you can "buddy up" with someone at the gym, that might keep you motivated.
I wish you the best.
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ZiggyRS0307 wrote: »I currently take antidepressants which do help, but also make me a bit spaced out and unmotivated to do any exercise. I always feel better when I’ve been to the gym but it’s the getting there that’s the problem.
Is anyone in a similar situation and have any advice?
For a start I'd ask whether your GP has offered alternative medication, as side effects vary. Equally different manifestations of symptoms in combination with medications lead to different experiences. After my first tour in Iraq the antidepressants I went onto led to excessive fatigue and nausea, so moving to a different prescription was needed.
In terms of motivation, equally what works for one individual may not be surprised for anothers situation.
Personally, training in a gym is dull. It's something I do when I have to, but I get a huge amount of emotional value from running out on the trail. The experience of the run is the motivation for me. Shorter runs in the week, and gym sessions, are steps towards that reward.
I'd also say that having a structured plan, and getting it in the diary, can be helpful. Seeing progress, and using the structure of the plan to push adherence, is beneficial. Seeing the row of green boxes in the tracking grid is helpful. That can also be challenging, as seeing red box can drive a low point; I've failed. What I've done subsequently is have alternatives and fallbacks. Those get a blue box. If I'm not up for a run then cycling twice the distance is a good alternative. The other night I was due a 7Km run, and felt really weary. I opted to do it in the hotel gym, so that if I had to stop early I could do. I finished, fairly comfortably, but I was able to manage the risk of failure that session.
The other thing is, quite simply, rewarding yourself. If I can complete all my planned sessions this month I'll acknowledge that in some way. With that it needs to be something you wouldn't normally do, so that it is a conscious reward.
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Doing some exercise is better than no exercise, but don't define exercise by going to the gym. Lower the barriers and do whatever you can at home. Eg. I love my exercise bike because I didn't even have to be fully dressed, but you can march in place, do bodyweight workouts, go for a walk, etc.2
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Do you have someone you can exercise (indoors or outside) with?
Having that extra commitment of not letting someone else down can maybe tip the balance.
My daughter has been (clinically) depressed for the last six years and the one constant that has given structure to her life is unwavering commitment to turning up for work, no matter how hard it is just to get out of bed, how little sleep she has had or how desperate she feels - not for herself but just so she doesn't let other people down.
Even after some really dark episodes she still paints on her working face and a false smile and turns up for work on time. (Yes I am extremely proud of her for that.)
Exercise commitment has come and gone but when she arranges to train with me or a friend she is far more likely to make it happen. It definitely does raise her spirits too.
Wish you all the best.7 -
I'm trying to help. Check your inbox pls
i agree with op that you need to check your own impressions of what depression is. if your perception of depressed people is that far off-base then your 'help' is unlikely to be of any real value.
talking about what you're 'trying' to do is not going to fix that problem.ZiggyRS0307 wrote: »it’s the getting there that’s the problem.
Is anyone in a similar situation and have any advice?
depression makes it so hard to believe in anything "future", even something as close to right-now as how it will feel once you get there. i usually don't like the 'just do it' mindset, but i have found it to be helpful during those 'just can't see it' times.
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ZiggyRS0307 wrote: »Hey,
Just wondering how many people on here are suffering with depression, and if you have any tips to stay motivated.
I currently take antidepressants which do help, but also make me a bit spaced out and unmotivated to do any exercise. I always feel better when I’ve been to the gym but it’s the getting there that’s the problem.
Is anyone in a similar situation and have any advice?
I can't imagine what you are going through, I don't knowingly have depression but I can say I feel "down" when I don't exercise, so I practice mind over matter. I sincerely hope you can overcome your depression and get into the gym.0 -
Are you medically diagnosed with depression or do you just think you're depressed? The word depression is widely used nowadays, but rarely reflects the correct condition. Depression is a serious thing. Depressed people rarely go about forums and ask questions, depressed people rarely do anything.
Untrue and fairly insensitive. Depression is different for everyone. You don't have to be in bed unable to function to still be medically depressed. In fact many depressed and suicidal people emerse themselves online. The severity of the depression is the main difference you're referring to.6 -
I was diagnosed with depression 5 years ago and sometimes I do find it difficult to motivate myself to go to the gym. I haven't been to the gym for a month because winter hit my depression pretty hard and I just couldn't motivate myself to go but I've managed to push myself to go again and I'm just starting to get into the swing of it again.
I'm on anti-depressants as well but I'm on a low dosage because it's mainly for my anxiety but it has helped my depression as well.
It's hard getting there and getting started but I find once I'm there and I get started it helps a little.
Also, to people just generalising depression, I am the most positive person ever. Some people don't expect me to have depression. I joke, I laugh, I go out with friends. Just because I am able to go out and do things and talk to people about it doesn't mean I don't have depression.6 -
When I suffered from depression, I never could get to a gym. But I was able to do things at home in certain ways. Music I liked- played it and danced. Show I liked to watch? I had a laptop I literally carried while I walked, for 30 minutes, or went back and forth like an aerobics routine while watching tv.
Mostly, I needed something I liked doing to take the edge off the ‘this is SO impossibly, overwhelmingly hard’ feeling that came with exercise. Sometimes I needed the same thing just to brush my teeth, you know?
But I wanted to ask if any of your doctors checked for specific illnesses or conditions that could cause or contribute to your depression? I know a few folks who had their depression never improve enough to get off meds, like you mentioned experiencing, and eventually they found out that the reason was because there was something else in the mix.
Vitamin deficiences were one. Low level food allergies were another. Auto- immune diseases, especially celiac disease or thyroid based ones are another. many of these can have next to no symptoms except for fatigue and/or depression, plus some vague aches and pains, for years. BUt if you have a depression diagnosis, the other symptoms are vague enough they are often attributed to depression rather than something else, you know?
I myself was diagnosed as a celiac and maybe 4 months into treatment, my depression of well over 15 years diappeared practically overnight( during one of the most stressful periods of my life, no less). 8 years and it still remains gone.
That is not to say that your depression is like that ( my daughter’s is not, for example), but it may be worth exploring, if no one has ever done that for you.
Good luck, and hope you meds are a little less fuzzy for you, eventually.4 -
I was diagnosed with depression and PTSD in 2014, and ended up being hospitalised last year. I've been on eleven different antidepressants and the one I'm currently on is working pretty well so far, fingers crossed! It's worth chatting with your doctor to find the medication that works best for you- sure, it's a pain in the butt, but you'll be better off in the long run on something better suited for you.
I do still get periods of paranoia where I'm too scared to leave the house, but for me it really helps to latch it in to another habit, like doing it the same days as grocery shopping. It's always leaving the house that's the hardest part, and I don't allow myself to go back until I've done half an hour at the gym, by which time the fear has usually subsided a bit and I'm able to keep going and finish the session.
And @amyteacake, I totally agree. Depression can be an invisible illness, especially if you don't know someone all that well. If someone tells you they're depressed, you need to listen- they know themselves better than you do.
Better to believe them and be relieved when it turns out to not be serious than to not listen and make things worse.7 -
I have anxiety and seasonal depression. I found it easiest to start small. For instance, when I started, I just tried to walk for 20-30 minutes a day, more for the fresh air and sunshine than anything else. It quickly became habit-forming and the more I did, the more I (generally) craved to do it. Now I notice such a difference if something comes up to keep me from my exercise, that I'm almost scared not to exercise.
Good luck, it's just getting started that's the hardest. It does get easier, and quickly too!3 -
I just started taking antidepressants a couple months ago and I really don't feel much different. My doctor even increased my dosage after the first month. It may have helped out my cravings for certain things but I really don't feel any happier or less anxious, and my sleeping hasn't gotten much better.
The main thing I struggle with is motivation, I make a lot of excuses for my laziness. I'll tell myself it's too cold outside to go to the gym or I've had a long day, or I have to pay bills or something stupid like that instead of working out. And I know I feel like crap because I never work out, but I never work out because I always feel like crap. It's a vicious cycle. The hardest part is going the first few weeks to make it more of a routine and a habit. After that, it's actually kind of enjoyable.4 -
I have suffered depression and anxiety after suffering a haemorragic stroke and leaving my job 4 years ago. I struggle most days with depression and can make lots of excuses to not go to the gym. I find the gym a very solitary experience and no one communicates as they all have there earphones on whilst working out. I go because I need to but don't enjoy it much. I attend an aerobic class with lots of people (some are friendly) and good music which really lifts my mood. I find that different types of exercise have different effects on mood. Perhaps explore some different exercise classes and you may find some you really enjoy which could help. Studies also say walking close to nature eg. Parks has a positive effect on depression.5
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I suffer from depression and anxiety and it's a struggle. Not just with motivation but my anxiety also makes me overthink what people will think of me and that often triggers depression and it's just a stupidly vicious cycle for me.
I'm still trying to find a really good solution. What works best is to just not allow myself a chance to think too much or back out. Take a gym bag to work with me, then when logging out time comes around just don't think about it, get in the car and drive there, don't even take the other route and go home first. Once I'm in motion and got a routine going, it usually gets easier but it's a fragile thing because one little slip can make me go off track again.
Another thing that works for ME is to relate things I don't like doing with things I love. For example I'm a super big fangirl, so I try to get as much inspiration from the actors I like. Or when I get obsessed with a new TV series, I'll only allow myself to watch an episode while getting my cardio in.
I also tried getting others involved so I could agree to meet friends there but while the commitment helped, my stupid brain also started to make too many comparisons as far as body definition and progress goes, so that turned out not to be a good solution for me.2 -
I can't really say I am depressed. Sometimes stressed. For the past year I have my 36 year old son living with my husband and I. I wouldn't have it any other way. He has had diabetes for 35 years. This has taken a toll on his body from heart disease, kidney failure pancrea not working at all. Plus many other things due to the diabetes. Plus my husband has epylisy fo 55 years. So you you see I am a care giver. I love them both dearly. But I need time for me too. I just started going back to the gym with my sisters. Very tired and exhausted but I keep pushing. Oh also I sit for a 8yr old. 5 days a week. Life goes on not easy at times but I keep going forward. All I can say is take one day at time.3
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A couple of thoughts - when I was on antidepressant medication that made me fuzzy, someone suggested I took the meds at night not in the morning. So simple and I felt a bit foolish when I realised what a difference that made to the fuzziness - the pills also helped me sleep that way. And they were a big help.
Also - given that excercise is a proven and great way to reduce/prevent depression (those endorphins etc) I would consciously aim to prioritise it. Can you build a routine/habit where your best energy is spent on some form of excercise (swim, class, walk in nature, walk to the shops...maybe the gym is too hard right now)? It is worth putting high up the self care list...and this has certainly helped me in the past.
All best ... x0 -
I don't know what I may have, but I seem to sweat alot under pressure or to many people around me at once. Think I have depression with being stressed and gaining weight. I have lost 13 lb so far and still look at myself and say not good enough. I hope time will play it part, cause so much to cut away from what could cause all of it.
So I feel the pain0 -
I went through a severe depression 2 years ago. Exercise & Jesus have helped me so much. I'm not on any mediation. 6 years ago I lost 50 pounds, felt awesome. I've always been a big guy, played offensive line in college for football. then 2 years ago hit, and I put it all back on and have felt terrible. I've hit 10 pounds down today. Running further, feeling better than I have in at least 2-3 years.1
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