Improve Your Depression By Getting Exercise!

Designed by Freepik

Learn what exercise can do to boost your mood.

Exercise has been shown to be as effective as antidepressant medication in treating mild to moderate depression. It is a powerful depression fighter because it promotes all kinds of changes in our brain. Exercise promotes neural growth, reduces inflammation, and adds new activity patterns that promote feelings of calm and well-being.

It also releases endorphins, powerful chemicals in your brain that energize your spirits and make you feel good. Exercise also serves as a distraction, allowing you to find some quiet time to break out of the cycle of negative thoughts that feed depression.

How much exercise do you need to have?

And you don’t need to devote hours out of your busy day to get to the gym, sweat buckets, or run miles after to reap all the physical and mental health benefits of exercise.

Just 30-minutes of moderate exercise five times a week is enough. And that can even be broken down into two 15-minute or even three 10-minute exercise sessions if that’s easier for you to do.

Frankly, even a little bit of activity is better than nothing!

If you don’t have time for 15 or 30 minutes of exercise, or if your body tells you to take a break after 5 or 10 minutes that’s okay. Start with 5- or 10-minute sessions and slowly increase your time. The more you exercise, the more energy you’ll have and eventually you’ll feel ready to do a bit more. The key is to commit to some moderate physical activity—however little—on most days.

Research shows that moderate levels of exercise are best for most of us. Moderate means: that you breathe a little heavier than normal, but are not out of breath; that your body feels warmer as you move, but not overheated or very sweaty.

How do I get started?

Many of us find it hard enough to motivate ourselves to exercise at the best of times. But when you feel depressed, anxious, stressed or have another mental health problem, it can seem impossible to do. This is especially true of depression and anxiety, which can leave you feeling trapped in a catch-22 situation.

You know exercise will make you feel better, but depression has robbed you of the energy and motivation you need to work out. So, start small, set achievable goals and build up from there. Schedule your exercise when your energy is highest.

Some ideas to try:

How about dancing to some music or going for a short walk—a 15-minute walk can help clear your mind, improve your mood, and boost your energy level. As you move and start to feel a little better, you’ll likely boost your energy enough to exercise more.

Do activities you enjoy because any activity that gets you moving counts. That could be throwing a Frisbee with a dog or friend, walking laps of a mall window shopping, or biking to the grocery store. Gardening or tackling a home improvement project can be a great way to start moving more and can also leave you with a sense of purpose and accomplishment.

Some tips:

It can help to reward yourself with an extra treat for exercising like a hot bubble bath after a workout, a delicious smoothie, or with an extra episode of your favorite TV show.

You can make exercise a social activity. Exercising with a friend or loved one, or your kids, will not only make exercising more fun and enjoyable, it can also help motivate you to stick to a workout routine. You’ll also feel better than if you were exercising alone. In fact, when you’re suffering from depression, the companionship can be just as important as the exercise.

Look at your daily routine and consider ways to sneak in activity here, there, and everywhere.

Move in and around your home. Clean the house, wash the car, tend to the yard and garden, mow the lawn with a push mower, sweep the sidewalk or patio with a broom. Sneak activity in at work or on the go. Bike or walk to an appointment rather than drive, use stairs instead of elevators, briskly walk to the bus stop then get off one stop early, park at the back of the lot and walk into the store or office, or take a vigorous walk during your coffee break.

Get active with the family. Perhaps jog around the soccer field during your kid’s practice, make a neighborhood bike ride part of your weekend routine, play tag with your children in the yard, go canoeing at a lake, walk the dog in a new place.

Get creative with exercise ideas!

Go pick fruit at an orchard, boogie to music, go to the beach or take a hike, gently stretch while watching television, organize an office bowling team, take a class in martial arts, dance, or yoga.

Remember even a little bit of activity is better than none! Learn to make exercise a fun part of your day so you can start to feel better and get back into life again!

Contact Me to start Depression Therapy today!

What will you do to get some exercise today?

JD’s Midlife Tools For Living Practices, Holland, MI
Offering Heartfelt care, Compassion and Coping Tools