Can moderate exercise help with anxiety/ depression?

sassypear

I am suffering from depression. Sometimes even simple tasks such as cleaning, cooking and grooming become difficult to accomplish. I am reading a self help book and one of the activities was to find an exercise I would like to do and set goals to do it a few times a week (more if I'm feeling motivated).

For those who is suffering from a mild form of depression, do you find exercise helps lift your mood?

ElliottTN

Excercise = elevated endorphin production = happy fun time

Science is fun.

jennybennypenny

Yes. Exercising regularly has actually made me a normal human being. No joke, I fall into the "can't get out of bed/shower/clean/do much of anything" depressed mode when I get out of the habit of exercising.

Once you get into a routine, it makes you feel AMAZING all day and you miss it when you don't do it. Consistency is key.

badgerdh

exercise has become my biggest stress relievers. I suffer from mild depression and working out does so much to help me. I really can't go without for multiple reasons.

sassypear

What you describe as "can't do much of anything" is exactly how i feel and how i think when I'm in a depressive episode. I am so happy that you've found something that is working. The book I am reading doesn't really go into detail how exercise can reduce feelings of depression and improve mood levels.

DopeItUp

Squats and deadlifts.

Denise1224

Excercise = elevated endorphin production = happy fun time

Science is fun.

^ This :flowerforyou: and you may want to check with your doctor about the feelings of depression there are many treatments available for depression (mild and moderate to severe) Good luck to you!

AllonsYtotheTardis

For those who is suffering from a mild form of depression, do you find exercise helps lift your mood?

It has helped me immensely.

csmullins78

This time last year, I had a very hard time with some serious depression. Shoot, last Thanksgiving (and the whole weekend) I was a blubbery, crying mess.

One of my friends sent me a text with a therapist's name and number and told me to call her TODAY and make an appointment. She had a cancellation and I got in the same day. My therapist gave me some homework: dance for at least 15 minutes a night. Because when you blare whatever fun music you like and you dance like nobody's watching, you just don't feel depressed anymore. And that good feeling does stay with you longer.

Now, I get the same results from working out at the gym. I can feel really bad about something, hit a bodypump class, and then feel great the rest of the day. Try it!

SailorKnightWing

As silly as the quote is, it's absolutely true. The first part, anyway.

PetulantOne

It is the ONLY thing that has helped me consistently, and I've tried it all.

weinbagel

It hugely helps.

RhonndaJ

It seems that it helps most people, the whole endorphin thing, but it doesn't help everyone. I remain one of those who isn't helped by exercising.

Know, too, that what you eat can also heavily affect your depression.

Oh... and if your depression is impacting your self care routines, I wouldn't call it mild.

neandermagnon

from personal experience (PTSD which has led to depression in the past) - yes, it absolutely does help and it's definitely worth forcing yourself to exercise when the depression is making you feel like everything is impossible.

one caution though.... it's not going to cure it. It relieves the symptoms (sometimes quite dramatically) by producing endorphins and also getting stress hormones out of the body (adrenaline etc is for fight and flight and it prepares you for really strenuous exercise, because that's how we evolved... so giving your body the strenuous exercise it expects when your anxiety levels are high does help to reduce the anxiety levels, which can reduce the severity of the depression later on). Combined with a healthy diet (I'd recommend balanced macros, low carb can make anxiety worse for some people, and insufficient omega 3s (from fat) and vitamin D (fat soluble vitamin) are thought to make depression worse, so go for moderate carb and moderate fat) these things can really help to keep anxiety and depression under control, but they don't get to the root cause. So IMO it shouldn't be seen as an alternative to seeing a qualified, experienced mental health doctor/counsellor, rather it's something to do alongside that.

ETA: also in my experience, strenuous exercise works better than moderate exercise for this. as in sprints or heavy lifting. Again going back to the fight or flight thing... if you're in fight or flight mode in the palaeolithic era, then you're running or fighting for your life, i.e 100% ,max effort. So emulating that IMO helps more than steady state cardio, but in my experience any kind of exercise helps a bit.

Alidecker

Yes. Exercising regularly has actually made me a normal human being. No joke, I fall into the "can't get out of bed/shower/clean/do much of anything" depressed mode when I get out of the habit of exercising.

Once you get into a routine, it makes you feel AMAZING all day and you miss it when you don't do it. Consistency is key.

Agree, I still get into "funks" occassionally, but my workouts keep me from being depressed or over anxious about everything. I can have a horrible day at work, I go to the gym, get a good workout in and life seems so much better.

Capt_Apollo

no.

intense exercise can though. don't do it moderately. moderately will give you moderate results. push yourself. find pleasure from the pain and discomfort of improving yourself.

sign up for a race, like a spartan or warrior dash. find one six months from now (early June). it'll give you something to look forward to, a goal to strive for.

liesevanlingen

That was the first thing my doctor prescribed when I was diagnosed with depression. Although I'm on anti-depressant meds, I do find that exercise has also helped. I hate not being able to get my exercise in now, because it really does make you feel better. But it's not a substitute for professional help. Do see your doctor.

WalkingAlong

Yes! So does getting outdoors for 20 mins. or so a day. My doctor says benefits start with as little as 20 minutes, so walk 10 mins. briskly away from home and then back. Don't feel like you need to go to a spin class or workout for an hour.

BeachIron

Yes. Doing stuff that's good for you helps. Shocking, I know.

mustgetmuscles1

Center for Disease Control

http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/growingstronger/why/

Healthy State of Mind
Strength training provides similar improvements in depression as anti-depressant medications. Currently, it is not known if this is because people feel better when they are stronger or if strength training produces a helpful biochemical change in the brain. It is most likely a combination of the two. When older adults participate in strength training programs, their self-confidence and self-esteem improve, which has a strong impact on their overall quality of life.

Sleep Improvement
People who exercise regularly enjoy improved sleep quality. They fall asleep more quickly, sleep more deeply, awaken less often, and sleep longer. As with depression, the sleep benefits obtained as a result of strength training are comparable to treatment with medication but without the side effects or the expense.

chani8

Recovered PTSD'er here and I find short intense workouts to help tremendously. A two minute workout can give me a boost for a couple hours. When I start dragging and looking around for snacks, I try to just "drop and give twenty" push ups or whatever. Give it a try and see for yourself if it helps. The comment above about dancing . . . I do that one, too!! Try it!!