Workouts and depression
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i think doing something you enjoy can help, but otherwise meh
i like running and aerial yoga and now lyra, but make me do tennis or golf and i would be miserable0 -
How do you know that you wouldn't feel worse sans exercise?3
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I'm in the camp of exercise doesn't help all of the time, and sometimes when I feel really depressed, moving itself can be hard. Yes, I am medicated, but even then, I am not depression-free 100% of the time.0
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Working out helps my depression, especially when it is super intense and I sweat a lot. I think that chemically we are all different and that not everything will work for everyone, however, you may also consider asking a doctor. Until I was on the right medicine for my thyroid issues working out made me angry, and before I was diagnosed I didn't always have the energy to finish which just made me more sad.
I think that others have mentioned, also, that really loving what you are doing (or at least liking it) is what gives you that extra boost of dopamine and endorphins. Also try working out with someone else for that boost of oxytocin. I'm a nature freak so hiking and swimming in natural waters are one of my favorite workouts. I try to bring people with me every time, usually my kids or siblings. I also use cize because I love to dance, which means I'm having fun and laughing the whole time. PiYo I got to help me with my injuries because cize was too much jumping around sometimes, but also because I love yoga but prefer to keep it moving. I also have found some awesome belly dance aerobic instruction on YouTube for days where that is the most appealing. I think variety helps, too.
Being depressed sucks a lot. I have major depression disorder and I don't take any meds but those for thyroid. What keeps me from falling apart or hiding myself away is a combination of my health and fitness regimen, keeping myself accountable with challenge groups (which keeps me social, which means oxyticin), and constant personal development. As a full time student, mom, & entreprenuer, finding time for feel-good reading is difficult but worth it. I wish you the best of luck and please feel free to message/add me if I can help in any way.2 -
i think depression/ low self esteem can make me feel anxious about exercising and I feel worse sometimes because I feel I am not good enough and there's no point in trying so the challenge of exercise is difficult sometimes, like I hate my self and feel sad because I'm rubbish at running/ lifting whatever and I'll always be fat ugly and disgusting no matter what i do1
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I'm wondering if vitamin D might help. My US geography is not good. If you moved from a southern state to a more northern one you could be sunshine deficient causing you to become low in mood because your body is not able to have the sun to keep your vitamin D levels up. You would not have enough time returning on vacations to increase your sun exposure adequately quickly enough to make a significant difference. One recent piece of research recommends everyone in the UK take Vit D at least for the winter months!1
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I would say depends on the activity. If I am feeling a little low and I go out on a sunny day for a walk then yes it boosts my mood quite a bit. I find that I will start walking and feel better and then my walk will turn into a run. So it does work for me for boosting my mood.0
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I suffered PND after my 2nd child was born, had meds for a while. Im now 9wks post partum with 3rd child and feel great as long as I keep doing things. Either just go out for a walk with the pushchair and kids or a proper workout. I always feel better and less stressed after a cardio or resistance workout so I am starting to add more workouts into my week. I think exercise does help at least it did for me x1
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Exercise has been anecdotally reported as helping by enough people now for it to be adopted as a general recommendation these days. However, no one ever claimed it helped everyone because it does not.
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It could be the type of exercise. My mood's generally pretty good and relaxed after a couple hours of swimming, but I do fifteen minutes of aerobics and I'm ready to bite someone's head off. As for depression, it tends to flare up if I have a bad performance day, but I'm much less negative about myself than I used to be.1
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I suggest grabbing a snack with you and a Gatorade, eating throughout your workout. That would get you started.0
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The most cited studies on exercise and depression are regarding an hour a day of aerobic exercise, which isn't realistic for everyone. There may be new studies regarding resistance workouts as well. (And for a study to be a success, to say the treatment works, it just has to produce a reduction in symptoms above and beyond the control group that didn't do the exercise, there's no study that says it worked for everyone, so there's nothing inherently wrong with you if you're working out and not seeing an improvement in mood. And at the least you know there are benefits besides the mood so it's not like it's wasted effort.)
There are some very well done studies regarding being outdoors for exercise, with benefits starting after 5 minutes. You might like to take a look at this one: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3710158/
You mentioned you're in school, I think-- can you get mental health services through the health center at your school? Exercise could be a good building block in an all around program. Good luck.3 -
It helps for me, but only temporarily (right after a run for about an hour). Then again, I've been running for 2 years so I don't know how depressed I would actually be if I gave up running (probably more because whenever I miss a run on the odd time I feel awful). That being said, I think it also depends on the reason for your depression and the type of exercise you do. For instance, I find that occasionally running can make me even more depressed (rarely) if I have something really bugging me on my mind. Running gives me the opportunity to dwell on that subject matter which usually makes me more worried.2
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Just to share a personal side of things.. I've always suffered from bi-polar disorder and manic depression, unmedicated. Being a guinea pig for a while to see if something does or does not work terrifies me and further ignites my anxiety. I'm not totally against medicine, but I'm trying my kitten off to work this out on my own.
Anyway, The month of July I simply maintained(Thank goodness because if I had gained it would have spiraled me further). I still worked out, but it never boosted my mood. Most of that month my moods were wildly unpredictable and I was deeply pulled down by depression. I thought back about what was different about the past few weeks and I had been "comforting" myself with a lower calorie version of ice cream... a lot. But it was always within my maintenance calories, no biggie? It had some sort of sugar alcohol in it, I forget.
I was just so exhausted by my mood swings I decided to really try something different and cut grains, added sugars and fruit. Never done that before in my life and I know it's really extreme but I just wanted to try it.
With the exception of testing things out to see how I react to fruits and chocolate(still not so well on my stomach or skin) I have been depression free for 25 days. My resting heart rate has dropped by 10bpm. (Also, yoga helped some days but not all days)
ETA: Since my moods are so much more stable, it's easier to keep within my calories without emotional eating/bingeing.
Like I said, it's extreme and I still am going to allow myself maybe one serving of fruit a day and the occasional treat once or twice a month.. but the effects of lowering it has sincerely changed my mental health around. I'm excited to see how it pans out(and to indulge in a piece of birthday cake next month).
tldr: Look into more than just exercise for natural help.3 -
Exercise reliably keeps my feelings of anxiety and depression at bay, but perhaps they are comparatively low level to begin with. I have never had a self-harm thought, for instance. I'm saddened to hear that vigorous exercise isn't the solution for everyone, but I'm grateful to the OP and others for the education on the topic. It's yet another reminder that not everyone is me.0
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Exercise helps stabilize my moods big time.
I am a very intense, high energy guy who needs that outlet to engage something productive, challenging and beneficial. Everything in my life is ordered around goals, actions and reaching potential, so exercise fits right into that scope. If I am upset or discouraged, exercise transforms my whole outlook and attitude.
I just can't imagine how I'd cope without my barefoot hikes, HIIT Biking, lake swimming, weight training, MMA, long runs, morning calisthenics or evening walks. We're all different, so find what works to uplift your spirit and learn to live and love life.
We only get one shot at it....2 -
It might be a hormonal imbalance that working out aggravates more. Such as too much testosterone maybe. Id get hormones checked.0
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jenniferandreas693 wrote: »So I've read a lot about how exercise is supposed to help people feel less depressed and increase moods... It hasn't worked for me though and sometimes I even feel a bit moodier after working out.. I don't know why, any tips on what could maybe help!?
It maybe the type of exercise. I've found that certain exercises allow me to switch off completely and others take much longer or in some rare cases, not at all.
I play squash - in game there's no time to think and I'm 100% switched off. I lift - 50% of the time I can still have things on my mind and as soon as the weights become heavy I switch off. Cardio activities tend to let my mind wonder and I can fill that time with all kinds of nonsense. Have you tried different activities?2 -
jenniferandreas693 wrote: »So I've read a lot about how exercise is supposed to help people feel less depressed and increase moods... It hasn't worked for me though and sometimes I even feel a bit moodier after working out.. I don't know why, any tips on what could maybe help!?
I'm not quite sure how you're expecting anyone here to be able to help you battle depression? Something either helps or it doesn't, for me it does much of the time, but sometimes it doesn't. See your doctor, change medication, plan something in your life that you look forward to, change your workout to one that excites you...this is all a you thing, not a random people on the internet giving you a step by step guide how to overcome it thing. One of the greatest and worst things you'll ever discover is depression is not a thing you can specifically target and switch on and off with certain things. It's just random.
Just thought this comment came off as a little rude. Especially if you're talking to a depressed person. If you can't offer help, maybe just don't comment?
OP: Scripture helps me. The words of Jesus washing over me always work better than meds. And listening to contemporary Christian music that uplifts you. Try "Hello My name is" by Matthew West.1 -
jenniferandreas693 wrote: »So I've read a lot about how exercise is supposed to help people feel less depressed and increase moods... It hasn't worked for me though and sometimes I even feel a bit moodier after working out.. I don't know why, any tips on what could maybe help!?
Setting yourself small/medium/large exercise/fitness goals may help? It makes the exercise more purposeful.
Go with a friend. You will be amazed what inviting someone to the gym does for your enjoyment when it becomes a social event and not just part of the exercise grind?
Listen to music.
Chat with people in there more.
Do a a different routine every single session.
Hope these help?
Have you questioned your feelings at that time? When you actually feel moody you could ask yourself what exactly is it that is making me moody? Is there a specific thing about exercise that makes you moody?
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jenniferandreas693 wrote: »So I've read a lot about how exercise is supposed to help people feel less depressed and increase moods... It hasn't worked for me though and sometimes I even feel a bit moodier after working out.. I don't know why, any tips on what could maybe help!?
Setting yourself small/medium/large exercise/fitness goals may help? It makes the exercise more purposeful.
Go with a friend. You will be amazed what inviting someone to the gym does for your enjoyment when it becomes a social event and not just part of the exercise grind?
Listen to music.
Chat with people in there more.
Do a a different routine every single session.
Hope these help?
Have you questioned your feelings at that time? When you actually feel moody you could ask yourself what exactly is it that is making me moody? Is there a specific thing about exercise that makes you moody?
Sorry I misread post. It's not exercise that makes you moody. You are trying to raise your moods. If exercise doesn't help there are a million other enjoyable things. Let us know if you try any of the suggestions and if they help.
Chin up0 -
Sometimes, depression feels as though I have concrete arms and legs. Just moving can be hard, but once you get moving, the concrete crumbles...2
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My job takes me to China on month long business trips. 8 of them since June 2014. I can say with an absolute certainty that exercise is key to my mental health. The first trip was in Shanghai and I was able to swim every day. 5km a day.
But it took until my most recent trip to find another pool I could swim at in Hangzhou. The trips in between were torture. Filled with anxiety, sudden bursts of anger and a very low tolerance for BS.
By my last trip I had increased my daily swim to 4 miles. And being able to swim in a pool with a lane rope designated just for lap swimmers, made a huge difference. Being away from family and home for a month can be stressful enough. Swimming every day and hitting the weight room in the gym made the trip more bearable. No anger. No anxiety. Just counting the days to departure.
Swimming is also highly meditative. Clears my mind and often I find solutions to a design challenge just pop into my head while I'm counting strokes.0 -
It depends on the root cause of the depression - if this is hormone related (specifically endorphin) then yes, exercise can have a dramatic impact. If the depression is related to body image, then yes, but only over time and consistent exercise.0
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Weight lifting has been the biggest anti depressant for me
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I don't think all exercise is equal when it comes to mental health. I also don't think it's one size fits all - you have to find out what works for you. I find that if I do strength training alone, it makes my depression worse. Cardio makes it better (especially if done outside). But surprisingly, the one exercise that raises my mood the most, almost magically, was Pilates. It was like a little 24 hr Prozac.1
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Regular ole exercise? It doesn't do so much for me. I mean I gain confidence as I hit milestones because "Oh look what my body can do!". But my real happiness? Sweating it out while dancing and singing to my favorite music, walking out in the sun (with sunscreen-I'm so pale) with my dog, going on adventures with friends...and now yoga. Focusing on how amazing your body is and taking care of yourself is a pretty positive experience.1
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jenniferandreas693 wrote: »So I've read a lot about how exercise is supposed to help people feel less depressed and increase moods... It hasn't worked for me though and sometimes I even feel a bit moodier after working out.. I don't know why, any tips on what could maybe help!?
I was diagnosed with depression when I was a lot younger. I had opted out of medication even though a psychologist strongly recommended it. Exercise does help but it's def not a fix-all. I have noticed that when I eat healthier my mood improves. But some days nothing helps. That's just depression I think. Sometimes I end workouts crying because I can't seem to push myself as hard as I wanted to and feel like a disappointment (dramatic, I know. Ha). You probably go through something similar and that's ok! Just remember that exercise isn't a fix all to depression. Find whatever works best for you.
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