If you're depressed, it can often seem like there is no hope for improvement. However, if you haven't tried exercise to relieve your depression, you may be missing out. Although depression is traditionally treated with medications, research has demonstrated that exercise, because of its endorphin-releasing effects, may be as useful as medication for this disease. Exercise also has beneficial effects on stress. Important, for depression and stress, it's not what kind of exercise you do that counts; it's only important that you do exercise.
Exercise and Depression
Depression, a disease characterized by depressed mood accompanied with abnormal sleep patterns, decreased interest or pleasure in once-enjoyed things, and decreased attention or concentration, is traditionally treated with drugs that include fluoxetine, of which Prozac is a brand name, and sertraline, of which Zoloft is a brand name. However, staff at the Mayo Clinic say that regular exercise is also an effective treatment for depression for some people -- and according to Laura Blue, writing for "Time" magazine, many studies have shown that it may even be as effective as medication.
How It Works
While the links between exercise and depression are still being worked out, what is known is that exercise causes your body to release chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins are naturally occurring opiods -- that is, they are in the same class of compounds as drugs that include heroin or morphine -- that ease pain and raise mood. Exercise may also improve your mood by helping you gain confidence in your abilities and by providing a distraction from the negative thinking that may accompany depression.
Exercise And Stress
Exercise likely helps relieve stress for the same reasons it helps relieve depression. In addition, staff at the Mayo Clinic note that exercise can serve as a form of meditation -- that is, you become so engrossed in the activity you're pursuing that you cease to be aware of other distractions and worries in your day. Finally, regular exercise can help you sleep better, and better sleep helps you feel less stressed.
Types of Exercise
The best news is that there isn't one kind of exercise that's better than any other for depression and stress relief. So long as you enjoy what you're doing, and you do it regularly, anything will do. You may also want to exercise with a friend, as making exercise time social can also contribute to depression and stress relief. If you are starting up from scratch, you should see your doctor first to make sure you're physically able to begin an exercise program, and you should be prepared to take it slow in the beginning -- if you haven't exercised in a while, it can take some time to become comfortable with intense physical activity again.
