Topic: Depression and exercise (Read 260 times)

I think the act of engaging some difficult then overcoming it (for example lifting weights) is what triggers the effect of feeling happy. However depression is a blanket term since there are so many sub problems. Some people just have a lack dopamine, others have trauma that are induced by seeing someone or something. I do think exercise, or just being busy can help but its not the total solution.

Love and Respect Yourself!
Take Care of Yourself!
Even though its hard at first, push yourself to exercise!
Even though its hard at first, try to eat better!
You will be more okay with yourself, use that as a stepping stone on the way to be better and better with yourself!

Drugs are not the answer, you have all the answers in you, right here, right now!

Good things will happen!
Good Luck!

Physical exercise may not give complete solution to stress and depression since its something related with psychology of an individual.But regular exercise will keep someone away from those depressive things but once someone get into it they need lot of mental strength to get away from it.

Yes you are right, after you finish exercising, depression and stress can disappear.
When the body sweats, all diseases will come out of our body, which makes blood circulation smooth because the heart moves than usual.
Instead of going to a doctor, it's better to exercise to maintain endurance.

depression should not be treated with a 10 minute doctors appointment to be given meds
likewise
depression should not be treated with a 10 minute doctors appointment to be given a stickman diagram leaflet doing yoga

depression should not be categorised as a single diagnosis with single symptoms
there are many forms of depression

for instance
PTSD
agoraphobia
antisocial anxiety
hormonal imbalance
OCD
abusive environment
neglectful/lonely environment
lazy/lethargic/mental incapacity

for instance if there is a ptsd vent involving an ex-soldier who has flashbacks of running from the enemy.. telling him to go for a jog wont help. as the jogging would actually trigger his flashbacks
however telling him to try something tranquil and calm like going fishing or sunbathing might help more

there are also people with medical issues internally and externally that no matter how fast you tell them to run they are not gonna get the endorphin rush people expect
it also can trigger the person realising their physical limitations and feel worse and defeated

in short there shouldnt be a 'one fix solves all' plan. but an expansion of multiple options and an actual proper assessment and patient care plan that is tailored to each patient specifically

Often the thing that is called "depression" is really repression. So, at the same time we are talking about "depression and exercise," we should also be talking about repression and enterprise.

Definitely, because when you exercise you focus your attention away from what makes you depressed. They should have some activities that can catch their attention. Depression is a serious matter that a person affected needs professional help, attention, and love. Sometimes you cant see its sign, they may seem happy and active but deep inside they are emotionally shattered.

The real question that should be ask is why is that more and more people are getting depressed then we must realize the problem may be in our system in our current society where people are getting drowned in debt with an $400000 education that might not be possibly useful an student loan that you have to pay all your life with a employment system that doesn't accept any applicants without 30 years of experience so you have to work two jobs just to pay those debt.

Depression has been a bane in the society which does not even have age limit as to what can be a victim and quite a number of people are really depressed and if not properly handled in real time leads to being suicidal. While all help is needed in other to stop this or put a bane on it, there is need to identify the source of the depression before one can offer a solution. Exercise is not bad, if the source of depression to someone is because of loss of job, after the exercise activity, he is still jobless which means exercise would not end his depression except he gets a job. So also the several reasons why people are depressed to some other people it could be due to bullying, trying to get pregnant, lack of love in the family etc. Exercise can only be ephemeral taking ones mind off it but not a total solution.

"All I have are negative thoughts".

These "exercise improves mental health" articles mostly target the "normal" people. I haven't been to a mental institution so I don't know if they are actually using it to cut down on expenses. I do read that there is a movement to help treat depression with CBT so that people don't become dependent on drugs. Not sure how Big Pharma sees that though.

A depressed mind is always sad and that will be demoralized for such a mind to want an exercise. I know such a person well be fine if he finds time to always be in the midst of loved ones to cheer and crack him up from time to time.

Any physical activity would likely help. Especially group activities like basketball, where in the person can get to interact with a lot of people. The person needs more of what can take their mind away from what's causing their depression. I've known quite a lot of people who recovered pretty well after climbing mountains when they feeling deressed. What these people need are basically someone they can talk to and there's an abundance of that in group exercises.

Don't think any relation between these but if someone can do exercises regularly then they will less concentrate on the things which makes them stressful so distraction is the relationship between stress, anxiety, and workouts or exercise

There have indeed been numerous studies that show that exercise reduces the body's stress hormones, adrenaline and cortisol. If you are feeling stressed, then exercise is definitely an option to try. Far better to do without pills if you can. A reason we can feel terrible when stressed is that in evolutionary terms it is our 'fight of flight' response. The body is getting ready for vigorous exercise such as running away from predators. In modern society the stress is often more of a mental nature, but the body's response is the same - and exercise is the body's natural response.

There is inverse relation between anxiety and exercise. The more regularly you do exercise less will be anxiety

Understand everyone have their own problem like us so expecting some others to help in these situation may not be the best solution,get yourself up and motivate yourself,everything is temporary here so your bad and good are also that's life.

exercise can be a positive in the form of a temporary escape/change of environment. EG getting out the house stops you starring at the same 4 walls. fresh air is better then stale dusty house air. and exercise gets your blood pumping.

but its just temporary.. much like eating an icecream or coffee can be.

exercise shouldnt be treated as a cure for depressions or a replacement for therapy/medication. it should be something that goes alongside other treatments.

therapy for instance is not just sat down with a therapist talking about daddy/mummy issues when you were a kid. but can b cognative therapy such as teaching your brain how to manage things. such as setting an alarm to get into a routine to gt you out of bed in the morning instead of staying in bed all day. setting a schedule or writing things down if your forgetful and get stressed by missing appointments or forgetting to do something.
stuff like handling grief like learning that you will never forget the person you lost but that doesnt man you have to constantly think about them to remember. you can writ things down like positive memories and experiences with them that way you can just refer to your journal once a week/month year instead of thinking about then every minute of every day worried you'll forget that memory if you dont.

if your in a abusive relationship, there are ways to learn to become more confident and learn how to stand up for yourself, even just verbally, without causing conflict, until your confident enough to end the relationship

even stuff like joining community 'coffee mornings' and cooking classes to get you out the house and try new hobbies and meet new people.

or more simply avoid watching the news and negative documentaries and instead just watch the comedy channel and music channels to change the mood of your entertainment

i say al this because i have seen recently in my area how the actual mental services has declined and all people are given is advice to go for a walk around a park or handed a leaflet on some basic yoga poses. and this is in a country that meant to offer free medical care, not offering anything medical unless pretty much suicidal, by which it jut ends up bing locked up in a psychiatric facility

I had bad anxiety for a couple of years, and tried the exercise thing, but it didn't help me. However I firmly believe that it can help, we are all different people and deal with things differently. Above all I would say if you are struggling with depression, stress or anxiety then vigorous exercise is absolutely worth a go. You don't even need to join a gym, it costs nothing and will make you healthier in any case.

panic attack is an adrenalin rush. so yes exercise quickly burns off the adrenalin which means the adrenalin in your body disapears thus feel less panicky. but exercise doesnt solve the trigger of the panic attack

its like having a car and putting nos into the fuel. the car performs better and burns the nos off if u push on the accelerator and go fast. and can ruin the engine if its not burned up as it can make you blow a gasket.

however thats just using up that events energy. but not solving the cause of having to flip the turbo button on a street car

yes there is something to be said about fake it till you make it. meaning if you fake being happy you might actually start being happy by distracting yourself. but again this is just temporary.

EG an abused wife can leave the house and go to the gym, smiling at the other people and having conversations while doing exercise. but as soon as she leaves the gym, the dread of having to come back home to the abusive household returns instantly

even with endorphins and adrenalin and stuff still going on, even with pleasant experiences and conversations happening just minutes ago. the depression returns quicker than a 30 minute exercise session

I have a mild depression most probably due to my genetics and when I have those panic attacks, nothing helps much. Walking straight and taking long breathe helps so does a mild jogging with music but my body feels very weak for any sort of exercise.
Exercise is a good thing to keep you fit and occupied if you could make it a daily habit. But I don't it would make a large difference when it comes to depression.

Well i'd suggest trying some indoor routines, doesn't need to be (in fact it should not be) high impact. Something cardio is good enough, even just warming up exercises every day probably makes a huge difference. And later when you feel with more energy, add more. Then you can also try outdoor activities if you want.

Look in youtube, there is probably something interesting for you to do, and no one else needs to know.

I think one of the main cause of depression is family problem and love(heart broken) that is my own observations why many young men and women are get into depression.
I do not think that exercise is the best way to avoid depression my opinion how to resolve this problem need a family and friend attention and support to forget all about hurt in there mind.

Yeah it's great way to combat depression because of the endorphins but also because your self-esteem goes up when you look and feel good.It also helps when you have something to focus on and less time to think about the things that are bringing you down.There is a saying in my country,-healthy body healthy mind

most of these studies are not aimed at proving that exercise is the cure for depression. meaning meds and therapy are not biologically needed.
but instead done to make it financially cheap to medical budgets and medical insurance underwriters by saying people should go for a walk(free) as oppose to being given meds/therapy.

alot of the medical industry customers (hospital/doctors/insurance) that pay the bill have already tried to justify not giving people the medical support the person actually needs and instead find viable free options that people should do. thus making it the patients fault for not trying to better themselves.
only problem is depressed people being blamed when the depression itself is preventing rational thoughts of bettering ones self, just snowballs negatively.

patients ned actual support in many cases. not told that they should just walk more and drive less
EG people with back pain just told to go to local 7-11 and buy some ibruprofen. yet what they actually need is a chiropractor and surgury

and now mental health has become a subject that was undr funded they want to pretend they are solving it, bt without costing them the real costs to actually solve it

EG some people soo depressed they resort to illicit drugs to escape their reality.. being chased by cops and looking over shoulder and racing across town to get the next fix is very exercise heavy.. yet.. guess what its not cured the underlying depression

oh and homeless people that live on the streets and dont have cars thus have to walk everywhere.. they are not the happiest people. so fresh air and exercise is not the sole solution

I've definitely found it harder to be depressed if I had some physical exercise, even if it's just a few stretches. Though it seems to be better if it actually leaves you sweaty and panting a bit. For people who are clinically depressed it wouldn't hurt to go out for a run regularly, only problem is they tend to just hole up at home.


Well special conditions do have to be considered. Though I believe getting fit does improve mental health (or at least overall health), I think stimulation also play a big role. In the case of quadriplegics for example, it'll all have to be mental. Somewhat same with anorexics. With those with anxiety and phobias would likely benefit from exposure therapy first.

Exercise in a way helps in depression because it helps in keeping the mind active and a way from depressing thoughts. Also a person tends to feel good after exercising. Perhaps as a result of the release of endorphins. But it will take a certain drive from the depressed to take this route but it's well worth it in the end.

It will work if the person itself is willing to help himself to be cured, depression is not an easy malfunction inside the minds once a person engage to this issue it will remain and will keep chasing the person of sudden stress placing him to any unnecessary action. Though if the person who are suffering wanted to help himself exercise and proper diet will reduce those bad thinking.

First off: This is one one of the few posts on this section that has been posted by a newbie and I haven't reported for being spam, as it isn't spam. This honestly sounds like a solid discussion.

Onto the subject area:

I've seen many, MANY, MANY studies on the subject area. But I do think at the end of the day it's going to be a case by case basis and any of the conclusions you get from a study are going to be on the macro scale and not the micro scale.

Some studies I've looked at: Might be blocked to read for you, so sorry about that.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/exercise-is-an-all-natural-treatment-to-fight-depression

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2000-16136-001

https://journals.lww.com/acsm-essr/Citation/1990/01000/Effect_of_Exercise_on_Depression.16.aspx

it depnds on the type of depression

for instance telling someone to go for a walk and get someone to go to their house to pull them out and do some exercise will actually cause more mental hard for someone who has anxiety, social issues and agoraphobic

telling someone who is anorexic that they need to exercise can also be counter intuitive

someone who is depressed due to being a quadriplegic (no movement below neck), is just reminding them of what thy are unable to do.

what helps more is not exercise, but finding a way to get someone out of the situation. maybe if lonely getting someone to talk to. maybe if boy image shaming finding a diet thats high nutritonally without the weight that comes with heavy meals.

sometimes its not the exercise, but just the view of a different environment that can excite the hormone glands to release endorphines
EG going on a date can release more endorphins than a 20 minute run.

That's why some person who suffering depression need a person who really be a helpful that who can care for him/her because it was not easy to suffer from depression especially of thinking anything even you don't want. They cannot help their own but they can changed by others using to visualize how important the life is.

I don't know if your scientific explanation is correct but I believe so. My only question is if we assume that I am the depressed person, how do I have the willing to exercise? I mean, I'm already depressed, hopeless and already got no interest in doing anything. I'm just in the corner of my room all day long because of total sadness. Yeah! The solution (exercising as what you've said) is present but how I will be able to use it while I'm trapped in this disorder? I sudrenly wonder .

Physical exercise has a lot to do with our mental health.
When you're working out you have less time to think and worry, you focus on doing a simple job.
This isn't a job you can fail at. You know you'll be happy after completing it and you'll have a sense of achievement. This is very important if you're fighting depression.
After a workout you usually get hungry. Depressed people don't eat much so it's a good thing to have a good meal.
Working out makes you feel better about your body. After a few weeks of regular workouts other people will notice changes in you and this will make you more confident, more attractive.

Depression is the feeling from unsatisfied life for that we don't really need exercise,just get some happiness would be enough.

And why we feel depressed also get into an account,depressed to to loneliness can be treated with good friends or partner.

Exercise helps us fight the stress. It is also a way to connect with the outside world and to other people. One of the stongest cure to depression is connection to other people and doing exercise can help us connect with others.

Go to the gym with someone, friends or family.

As someone who was something of a “problem child”, I went through depression my entire life, I can honestly say that strenuous exercise worked better for me than any medication ever did.  Running and martial arts completely saved my life and made me a perfectly functional adult who doesn’t rely on medication. 

More active and healthy lifestyle that included exercise is definitely  way to go when fighting depression, as you said it yourself , exercise has many benefits like body release of endorphins and serotonine. Definitely better than just shoving antidepressants down the throat from the beginning.
But in some more serious cases, relying just on exercise to fight depression is probably not best idea, it is better to look for professional help.

Depression has been a major topic of discussion as many young adults are snared into this health disorder.  There has been a lot of research done to explore the role of exercise and release of endorphins and excitatory neurotransmitters  that help to alleviate or reduce the inhibitory neurotransmitters which are implicatory in depression... What do you think about exercise as a treatment modality for depression?