Depression is a mood disorder characterized by feelings of sadness, anger or loss that can significantly disrupt your ability to conduct your everyday activities. In some cases, regular participation in an exercise program can help relieve some of the symptoms of depression. However, the benefits of this relief may end if you quit exercising.
Depression Basics
Depression probably stems from a mixture of environmental, genetic, psychological and biochemical factors, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Potential triggers for depressive episodes include relationship difficulties, loss of a family member or loved one, high-stress situations and various forms of mental trauma. In some cases, you can develop depression symptoms in the absence of any known trigger events. Depending on your personal circumstances, you may experience single or isolated depressive episodes or develop ongoing symptoms that reappear throughout your life. Ask your doctor for more information about depressive illness.
Exercise Effects
Exercise seems to ease the symptoms of depression by encouraging the release of brain chemicals that boost your mood, according to the Mayo Clinic. Exercise also helps lower levels of certain chemicals in your immune system that can sometimes worsen depression symptoms. In addition, exercise causes increases in your body temperature that may have a calming effect on your mental state. Other potential psychological or emotional benefits of exercise include promoting healthy coping strategies, boosting your self-confidence, increasing your level of social interaction and disrupting habitual patterns of negative thought.
Potential Activities
Doctors don't know precisely what level of physical exertion will help ease your depression symptoms, Harvard Medical School notes. However, exercising for roughly 30 minutes five days a week may provide greater symptom relief than exercising for only 15 minutes on the same number of days. The Mayo Clinic lists a wide variety of exercises or activities that may help your depression symptoms, including walking, gardening, lifting weights and participating in organized sports. You can also use everyday activities like stair climbing to get your daily exercise. If necessary, you can divide your exercise sessions into small segments that fit comfortably into your normal routine.
Stopping Exercise
According to a study conducted by the "Journal of Clinical Psychology," the depression-reducing benefits of exercise will typically end if you quit exercising. This may indicate that some of these benefits stem from factors other than physical changes in your body, including regular interactions with other depressed individuals and the addition of structured activities to daily life. Still, the study notes that exercise clearly reduces the risks for some serious health conditions that commonly arise in individuals with depression, including heart disease and diabetes.
Considerations
Talk to your doctor before beginning an exercise program for depression. With his help, you can learn how to fit exercise into the overall treatment of your depression symptoms, the Mayo Clinic notes. Potential factors to discuss with your doctor include identifying exercises you will enjoy and stick with, setting reasonable exercise goals and preparing yourself for eventual setbacks to your exercise routine.
