Depression and Getting in Shape

Yep.

My rule is I have to go to the gym, get changed and do 10 minutes then I'm free to leave.

I've left at the 20 minute mark once, but only because I was sick and should never have gone in the first place, every other day I've stayed for 45 minutes plus

I've not had depression so I can't relate at all. I just hope that you find the umph that you need & get out there. Exercise can really lift your mood especially listening to some upbeat music.

Good luck :flowerforyou:

Hi Africanstardust,

I'm not trying to lose weight, but I do want to get in shape and be healthier in terms of my food choices. But I'm struggling with depression at the moment and it is so hard some days just to get out of bed. Is anyone else dealing with this? How do you stick to an exercise routine or get yourself out the door? Some days are great and I have energy, but others I'm just tired and lethargic. Exercise obviously makes me feel better, but on the bad days I barely even move.

I've lived with depression for most of my life.
Firstly, if you haven't already done so - go see a professional. If you had a broken leg - you wouldn't hesitate to get professional medical attention. Depression is no different. It is a disease and it can be treated, and is treated very effectively by a range and a combination of therapies.
I have a whole-of-life approach to my wellbeing that includes medication for my depressive illness. I also go to the gym and engage in regular high-intensity exercise, I have adopted a wholefood plant-based (vegan) diet, and I am a long-term practitioner of meditation. On top of that, I maintain important relationships in my life and ensure that I have good sleep routine. The vast majority of my days I feel on top of the world. One of the great surprises to me was just how profound an effect diet has on mood.
Feel free to friend me if you wish to find out more or just looking for support.
kind regards,

Ben

I have had the debilitating kind.

If it breaks, do everything you can to make the gym something that soothes you. I did that, and have been stable almost a year now.

it's been a long time since i felt the way you describe; i feel very different now, and can only remember it a little. i didn't try exercise at that time, and i can't say to what extent i would have been able to follow the advice i'm giving now, so apologies if it sounds ridiculous.

but:

- i would try to make exercise the number one goal of the day, even if it takes 2 hours to get the goal accomplished.

- break the process down into parts:
1) wash face
2) eat breakfast
3) put workout clothes on (or in bag)
4) get shoes

- use one or three alarms if waking up is a problem. improving awareness of time in general may be useful. i am not naturally organized, and can get lost in things. i have a watch that beeps on the hour. it makes me notice what i'm doing when it beeps - i know an hour has passed; if i'm not doing something i wanted to do, just this can nudge me back on track.

- work out no matter how you feel. this has been my most important revelation learned through weight loss: habit is much more important and reliable than mood, and habit can change mood. even in a non-depressed state, in the first month or so, it was sometimes not easy to get over the hurdle of getting moving. (after about a month, it was much easier.) those times, i might say to myself: "you know you feel bad. you also know that working out will make you feel better. do the thing that makes you feel better."

- still, some days are easier than others. pick a few kinds of exercise to have ready in mind for bad days. Could be a few DVDs on days you don't want to leave home, maybe a couple of shorter ones (30 minutes). Could be an easy walk outside on days you have low physical energy. (Walking outside is great for lifting mood btw, because of how our brains respond to sunlight and patterns in eg leaves, grass (if you have a park near you); plus the rhythm of walking, to your own heartbeat, can put you in a different frame of mind; plus you are seeing different distracting events unfold as you walk (birds flying near; children) - this can help take you out of a ruminative mood.)

pick a gym very near your place, as near as possible, to eliminate as many obstacles as possible.


good luck, & take care

I've struggled with depression most of my life also. It even gets to the point I don't function and stay in bed most of the day. If I could afford to see a doctor and medicine I certainly would... so I've been reading a lot and trying to help myself.

First off... what I notice the most... is my choice of food has a LOT to do with my moods. Heavy carbs tend to make me more depressed and keep me in that frame of mind. Exercise helps a LOT. I have to MAKE myself some days get up and go walk or go to the gym, but when I do, and I follow it with good food choices (not heavy carbs) I see a huge difference in my moods.

Maybe try that and see if it works for you? I do wish you the very best. :flowerforyou:

Fish oil, multivitamin a clean diet and lots of cardio have helped me with my depression. I have to push myself harder some days to get going ( like today) but the results are what keep me going. Also motivation from MFP and instagram has helped me with those days when nothing seems right. My daughter pushes me when I need it too. So if you have a partner you can work out with that kind of keeps you accountable and then you have to show up even when you don't want to.