anyone else using exercise to as an antidepressant?

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BeautyFromPain
BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hey all,
just wondering if anyone else was using exercise as an antidepressant? It has really been helping me for a few months but in the past couple weeks I've been really down and can't seem to pull myself out ... even with exercise? HELP?
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Replies

  • lorna1002
    lorna1002 Posts: 185 Member
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    I use exercise in the same way

    :happy:
  • pantoine
    pantoine Posts: 12
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    I am medicated for my depression, but ALSO use exercise, fish oil and vitamin D3 as part of my mental health regime. If you're in the northern hemisphere (I'm down south in Australia!) you will be heading into fall/winter and your daylight hours will be shortening. You may be lacking vitamin D3 in particular as a result - many people with depression have naturally low levels of D3 and it's been shown to have antidepressant effects.

    I'd make sure you were taking some 4-6 *grams* (that's 4-6 1000mg capsules) of good quality Omega-3 fish oil, and 4000IU (4x1000 IU caps) of vitamin D3.

    See if that helps put some spring back into your exercise regime :-)

    Paul
  • AshinAms
    AshinAms Posts: 283 Member
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    Yes, I do! I find upping the exercise intensity helps and for me only running works, nothing else seems to get an endorphin flow. The elliptical is useless!

    I agree about the D3 that Paul recommends. Also vitamin B6 & 12 seem to help.
  • beduffbrickie
    beduffbrickie Posts: 646 Member
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    god this hits home, I am, only speak in private about my issues though. hope you can work through it.
  • kayelrick
    kayelrick Posts: 32
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    I found exercise helped too . . .
  • world2c
    world2c Posts: 178 Member
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    Yes, I feel so much better when I work out, no matter how long or short it is. But I think it's because I'm outdoors- I just love being outside. My favorite place to be was Colorado -350 days of sunshine (you might experience some rain or snow, but not the cloudy/gray for days on end that you face elsewhere).

    That said, if you are feeling down, try to walk during your lunch. It will be a nice break from work/school/caretaker (not sure what responsibilities you have) and you can get a little bit on natural light, which I think helps during this time of year.
  • Play_outside
    Play_outside Posts: 528 Member
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    I also use exercise as an antidepressant, and as long as I am exercising I find that I am fine. Maybe making a change in your exercise routine will help? Do you do things outdoors, indoors, or both? As mentioned, if you're in the northern hemisphere (as I am) with the shorter days it gets a bit tougher-this time of year is always bad for me. I struggle with school, eating, etc. And I get in a bad cycle of not exercising because I'm too tired/busy/etc and then because I don't exercise I feel more tired and down and it spirals worse and worse.

    I find that posting pictures of myself and friends doing all the activities I love around my place helps. Is there something you have always wanted to try, but haven't done yet? Now would be a good time to try it. I find the rush of trying something new is really helpful to me as well.

    Do you do any volunteer work, or have you considered doing any? That is something else that I find helps me, I am involved with a couple of groups and also am on our student society. SPCAs and other shelters are often looking for dog walking volunteers, that would be a great way to commit to some exercise and even social time, with the added benefit of having to be accountable and helping out :)
  • Play_outside
    Play_outside Posts: 528 Member
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    Also, I took a peek at your diary-maybe try increasing your fruits and veggies as well? Making sure you're eating balanced meals and getting enough vitamins, fat, and protein is really important too. At the very least if you're not going to up fruits and veggies, take a multivitamin plus D3 and B12 (separately, particularly the D3 as most multivites only have about 200IU of D3. 1000IU is the recommended daily dose for adults (in Canada anyway) and maximum is 4000/daily (after that you can get vit D toxicity). Not sure if you're tracking your calcium or not, but if you are and you're not getting enough of that, taking calcium on it's own, without magnesium, is usually best because magnesium can cause diarrhea.
  • AshinAms
    AshinAms Posts: 283 Member
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    What the other poster said about going outdoors is also very relevant - for vitamin D try and make sure you are outside with your hands and face/head uncovered for about 30 minutes per day, it doesn't have to be sunny.There are a couple of studies my dr recommended to me to read that are about the benefits of exercising outdoors rather than indoors for treatment of depression.

    However, I'm not keen to have my hands uncovered! Those headbands are good for having your face/head uncovered when it's freezing though as your ears don't freeze.

    Good luck.
  • world2c
    world2c Posts: 178 Member
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    Also, if you find you're still down after trying modifications to your schedule, getting some more viatamins, and spending some time outside in the sun, you might want to try to talk to a therapist or you primary care physician....You might find that there's something else going on and it might help to chat about it - seasonal depression - lack of light is a real issue for some folks - including me; there could be something going on with the holidays - my friend always experiences high stress between the middle to end of december - even if she gets all the presents bought, the house is decorated, and she has all of her food by the first week; or you could be experiencing some turmoil within as you are achieving success with your weightloss - I know I am having am having a lot of positive results, but it is weird because before I always saw mysef as not thin, but not huge, now that I've lost weight I see myself in reverse and also with the longer runs (10+), I feel like I battle my mind for a good chunk of the time)...Good luck to you!
  • Fieldsy
    Fieldsy Posts: 1,105 Member
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    Exercise is not only great physically, but it keeps your mind busy. If it helps you lose some weight in the process then thats just a bonus!
  • lumberjacks94
    lumberjacks94 Posts: 135 Member
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    For me my depression got better once I started making the exercise changes in June. For the most part it makes me feel better all times of the day, but I have found when I do have those down moments, only exercise at that moment will work. The problem is when I'm feeling down I usually have trouble motivating myself to get up and do it. That's where the support of others on this site comes in handy, even if they don't know that's the particular thing I'm dealing with at that moment.

    Fortunately, though, exercise has solved a major portion of it and I'm not being treated with drugs so that's always a bonus.
  • gazz777
    gazz777 Posts: 722
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    I started walking in order to overcome depression. THEN I started losing weight.

    The long walks help clear the head. Just come from my first Body Balance class (Pilates, Yoga, Tai Chi) and I feel like "what problems ?"

    Yesterday I was down about something else I that turned around through positive self-talk (and prayer).

    My best walks were the long ones (45-50 minutes minimum) to a few hours.

    I can't comment personally on running or high-intensity.
  • quitmakingexcuses
    quitmakingexcuses Posts: 906 Member
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    I was incredibly depressed about 2 weeks ago (I go on and off with mine) and since then I've started taking different multivitamins (with more Vitamin D), changed my sleep schedule, fixed my eating, and working out about 2 hrs a day. It's def helped. I think keeping myself busy is just a huge part of it!
  • chelle4282
    chelle4282 Posts: 58 Member
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    I exercise just as much for my mental health as for my physical health. I'm in Michigan and the dark winter days are starting so I find exercise very helpful.

    As others have said, I would try switching up my regimen if you find it not working as well. Maybe take a class so you're working out with and meeting other people? Spinning, yoga, aerobics, bootcamp... Classes can be fun!
  • zwayny
    zwayny Posts: 8
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    I was going through rough time last year. I couldn't pull myself to exercise but I was taking long walks as my psychologist suggested. It helped somewhat! I didn't want to take any type of medications and was taking only supplements. I read about some herbal stuff but was reluctant to try it. One day, I walked into a herbalist place and asked for a bottle of st. John Wart. If you can take it under supervision, go for it. I took the tincture and felt immediate relief. Took it only for 2 weeks. Exercising wouldn't have brought such immediate relief.
    Just my 2 cents
  • RonneyKay
    RonneyKay Posts: 464 Member
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    I am medicated for mine, but now that fall/winter is here, I can start hiking.

    I don't know about others from AZ, but for me, my depression in summer is worse, I think because of the heat and I can't do much in that kind of heat. But now I am exercising more, I am hoping to get it under control without meds.

    I do take a multivitamin daily and I take b&c+iron and that helps as well.
  • kellyn1604
    kellyn1604 Posts: 7 Member
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    I need to. I am starting to. I know that a lot of my depression stems from how I feel in my body and how I feel about how I look. I have this cycle of depression...feel bad about my weight, get overwhelmed, eat, gain, repeat. I know that if I start working out on a regular basis I would not get overwhelmed as much and the rest of the cycle would fall apart.

    However, my weight and health affect the other areas in my life that contribute to my depression as well. I feel like a bad mom because I am too "tired' (aka lazy) to play for more than a few minutes at a time with them. I feel like a bad wife because I never feel sexy...which leads to nothing (if you know what I mean) which is bad. I feel like a bad domestic engineer because my house is always a mess...one of the many ways I procrastinate is eating....I actually convince myself that I am hungry to avoid doing the dishes. Funny thing is, eating makes more dishes.

    So I am going to work on myself through exercise. Hopefully, I will start to feel not so overwhelmed about taking on the other aspects of my life as time goes on. Long road but it'll be worth it, right?
  • MaryIM
    MaryIM Posts: 159 Member
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    I need to. I am starting to. I know that a lot of my depression stems from how I feel in my body and how I feel about how I look. I have this cycle of depression...feel bad about my weight, get overwhelmed, eat, gain, repeat. I know that if I start working out on a regular basis I would not get overwhelmed as much and the rest of the cycle would fall apart.

    However, my weight and health affect the other areas in my life that contribute to my depression as well. I feel like a bad mom because I am too "tired' (aka lazy) to play for more than a few minutes at a time with them. I feel like a bad wife because I never feel sexy...which leads to nothing (if you know what I mean) which is bad. I feel like a bad domestic engineer because my house is always a mess...one of the many ways I procrastinate is eating....I actually convince myself that I am hungry to avoid doing the dishes. Funny thing is, eating makes more dishes.

    So I am going to work on myself through exercise. Hopefully, I will start to feel not so overwhelmed about taking on the other aspects of my life as time goes on. Long road but it'll be worth it, right?

    Yes, you can get out of the vicious circle you're trapped in right now. It will take some iron-willed determination. It's very difficult to make time for yourself when you're a Mom and a wife. Try to find a few minutes of "me" time each day. Start out with small goals and small successes. Baby steps. And post your progress daily to MFP. You will see an improvement.
  • ALLNEW42
    ALLNEW42 Posts: 28
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    What you have done already is confessed your darkest secrets and feelings about self esteem, motherhood and partnership. Great work! I am usually a motivated person but got into a funk last winter. A great co-worker called while I was riding the couch not able to figure out why I was crying and feeling unmotivated. She said "If you had diabetes you would take insulin, if you had heart disease you would take medication, so your brain is out of balance.....get some help". I am not a person who believes in easy fixes...but I took the advice and have been able to "take the edge off of life".

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