Exercise and depression

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starlaca
starlaca Posts: 779 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've noticed that when I don't exercise on a daily basis that I get depressed. I have been told that it's not necessary to exercise every day but I find if I don't, I feel down. When I do, I am in such a good mood. Just wondering if there are others out there who treat depression with exercise.
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Replies

  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
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    Here! I was medicated for light, chronic depression for years. When I moved out and had no insurance I had to stop taking the meds, and I felt terrible for a good many years. Now that I'm exercising regularly, I find I rarely have any bouts of depression anymore, and when I do, they are much more mild and don't last as long.

    typo
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
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    Me too... I notice when I don't get regular exercise, things get bad... It is just sometimes hard to get past the depression to go exercise.
  • starlaca
    starlaca Posts: 779 Member
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    Randomtai: I too have a hard time getting passed the depression to exercise. It's amazing how the human body can fix things if we just work with it and allow it to.

    Alongcame_molly: Thanks for sharing. My son has suffered with depression for many years and has been off his meds for quite a while. I will tell him about your experience...but then again, kids don't think moms know much.
  • pcastagner
    pcastagner Posts: 1,606 Member
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    I take rest days, but on those days I'm totally wiped and I need it., so I go for a hike or whatever for exercise, but I don't TRAIN on rest days.

    I have been stable since I made exercise a habit.
  • Pamstimelines
    Pamstimelines Posts: 79 Member
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    sorry, I'm not depressed if I don't workout. I just like the topic and want to hear how it works for people as that is still motivating. I tend to grumble through the start and sometimes the whole workout. Although I am better off and don't regret working out, I still grumble. I think that is a bad emotion and probably not good.
  • pcastagner
    pcastagner Posts: 1,606 Member
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    There are bad emotions?
  • eileen0515
    eileen0515 Posts: 408 Member
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    Daily exercise is a mood lifter, attitude adjuster for me. However I am not clinically depressed without it.
  • XTSH
    XTSH Posts: 129 Member
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    Depression? No, I won't say it's that serious. However I feel that my discipline lacks during my rest days. Lack of discipline lead to eating without second thought which then lead to over eating. I do feel regretful sometimes.

    Exercise keep me occupied and also, I always feel accomplished after a good sweat. Due to this reason, I try to keep my rest days minimum.
  • Awesomers
    Awesomers Posts: 144 Member
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    I've had irregular bouts of depression throughout my life. I was also diagnosed with PTSD a few years ago. I have noticed that, besides my TOM, I feel so much happier. I do get an "itch" to work out on my rest days, though. I think that as long as I'm not pushing myself toward an injury that exercising as much as I want is okay.
  • Cortelli
    Cortelli Posts: 1,369 Member
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    I've noticed that when I don't exercise on a daily basis that I get depressed.

    Lucky you - you've discovered at least one way to help stave off depression. :flowerforyou:

    I enjoy working out, but can't say that a lack of exercise induces any real problems for me.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,472 Member
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    FOR SURE!
    exercise helps beat any depression.
    we always feel good coming back from working out.
  • D_squareG
    D_squareG Posts: 361 Member
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    Works for me too. I was on medication, but it didn't work for me as well as exercise. There are studies that say exercise is as effective as medication for treating depression. I believe it.
  • csuhar
    csuhar Posts: 779 Member
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    I take rest days, but on those days I'm totally wiped and I need it., so I go for a hike or whatever for exercise, but I don't TRAIN on rest days.

    I'm in much the same boat. I find that, rather than becoming depressed, I become more irritable if I have too many idle days. So I try to have some physical activity each day. I've found that even just taking my dog for a walk for 20-30 minutes instead of just letting her run around the back yard, while not as cathartic as a training day, is usually enough to take the edge off.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    Exercise is nature's Prozac.
  • fannyfrost
    fannyfrost Posts: 756 Member
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    I had about 9 really bad years. First my best friend died, on the 2 year anniversary of his death another best friend was diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer, he died 3 months later. Our 4 year old cat died of stomach cancer 8 months later, my dad was diagnosed with Parkinson's and gradually got worse. My Mother-in-Law was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer (she had 4 good years before she died) my dad was diagnosed with Prostate cancer. When this all started my daughter was about 5. So I had a child to take care of and run around, I worked and my mom would say things like "your MIL ruined my Thanksgiving" and "you spend too much time with your daughter, I need you to do stuff for me" (my mom was so bad that at my dad's funeral she said "Nancy you did something right" everyone in car was so surprised we actually don't know what I did right.)

    Oh I had some breast cancer scares and some uteran cancer scares during that time too. It was fun stuff. What got me through was exercise. When the stress got really bad, I worked out. So yes it really does work to elevate mood. They have even done studies that show exercise raises endorphines.

    FYI = Yoga stretching is a good day off too if you still want to workout, but take it easy. Really works :)
  • edryer123
    edryer123 Posts: 502 Member
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    I totally feel this way. I found that even on rest days, if I just get up and going for a walk around the mall or something (keeps me away from food because I don't care for mall food anymore) It isn't really exercise but it is moving.
  • LeanButNotMean44
    LeanButNotMean44 Posts: 852 Member
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    I don't feel depressed per se, but I definitely feel a bit more lethargic and not as happy as usual. Although they are important, I am not a fan of rest days. I try to do *something* everyday, even if it's what I would call "active rest" (i.e. not lifting or doing cardio - yoga, ab workout, etc.).
  • MickeS
    MickeS Posts: 108 Member
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    Exercise work to treat depression. Here in sweden the doctors write exercise on prescription. Just like any other drug.
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
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    I don't mean to go deep here, but you brought it up of course. This is pretty common and alright, at least that someone should feel better when they workout, but it's important to look at why you feel depressed when you're not working out too, yea?

    It could just be a stressful job, which isn't a bad thing, (for instance my gf is in med school, and working out helps her manage stress/feel better, and get some activity in), or maybe there's more to it.

    So yeah managing stress with activity is a great way to work through it, but make sure you're dealing with your issues as well.
  • starlaca
    starlaca Posts: 779 Member
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    I had about 9 really bad years. First my best friend died, on the 2 year anniversary of his death another best friend was diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer, he died 3 months later. Our 4 year old cat died of stomach cancer 8 months later, my dad was diagnosed with Parkinson's and gradually got worse. My Mother-in-Law was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer (she had 4 good years before she died) my dad was diagnosed with Prostate cancer. When this all started my daughter was about 5. So I had a child to take care of and run around, I worked and my mom would say things like "your MIL ruined my Thanksgiving" and "you spend too much time with your daughter, I need you to do stuff for me" (my mom was so bad that at my dad's funeral she said "Nancy you did something right" everyone in car was so surprised we actually don't know what I did right.)

    Oh I had some breast cancer scares and some uteran cancer scares during that time too. It was fun stuff. What got me through was exercise. When the stress got really bad, I worked out. So yes it really does work to elevate mood. They have even done studies that show exercise raises endorphines.

    FYI = Yoga stretching is a good day off too if you still want to workout, but take it easy. Really works :)

    Nancy (I hope you don't mind me calling you that),

    I'm so sorry to hear about all of your losses. I can't imagine how you pulled through all of that. Thank you for sharing, I appreciate it. :smile:

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