People with depression often feel sad and unmotivated and lose interest in everyday activities. For these people, getting out of the house and interacting with people at the gym or on a jog can be the first step to leading a more positive lifestyle. Aerobic exercise can also alleviate depressive symptoms by counteracting the brain processes that lead to depression.
Background
Depression consists of persistent feelings of sadness, loss of interest in activities, and a loss of energy, among other symptoms. While you may think of depression in terms of its psychological symptoms, depression has its roots in the physiology of your brain. People who are depressed typically have low amounts of certain neurotransmitters, such as serotonin or dopamine. Serotonin controls things like your mood, sleeping habits and appetite, whereas dopamine controls your attention and motivation. Treatments for depression often aim to raise these neurotransmitters. For example, doctors often prescribe selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, to depressed people. SSRIs raise the levels of serotonin in your brain.
Effects
Aerobic exercise may help you beat depression by raising levels of serotonin in your brain. According to Simon Young in a November 2007 article in the "Journal of Psychiatry and Neurology," regular aerobic exercise has been shown to increase the levels of a substance called 5-HIAA, which your body uses to create serotonin. Young suggests that when you become fatigued from aerobic exercise, your body allows more tryptophan to enter your brain. Your brain uses tryptophan to create serotonin; so regular exercise may allow your brain to make more serotonin and improve your mood.
Evidence
Andrea Dunn and colleagues showed that regular exercise can improve depressive symptoms in a 2005 study in the "American Journal of Preventive Medicine." Dunn and colleagues put people who suffered from mild to moderate depression into groups where they performed high- or low-intensity exercises, three or five days a week. People who exercised at higher intensities or more often per week showed less depressive symptoms after the 12-week study.
Take Action
One benefit of using exercise to treat depression is that there are many different types of exercise to choose from. Doctor John Ratey and Eric Hagerman, in their book "Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain," suggest that any kind of aerobic exercise may help with depression, as long as it is aerobic and gets your heart rate up. You can take up jogging in the evenings, cycling to and from work, or even using a treadmill in your home. Ratey and Hagerman suggest that you should aim to exercise for at least 30 minutes each day.
Caution
Depression comes in many different varieties, ranging from mild to severe symptoms. While exercise may improve depressive symptoms, many more severe forms of depression may require clinical intervention. If untreated, more severe forms of depression can result in self-harm. If you suspect yourself or someone you know is suffering from depression, the best first course of action is to contact a clinical professional.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Depression: Definition
- Mayo Clinic: Depression: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
- Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience: How to Increase Serotonin in the Human Brain without Drugs
- American Journal of Preventive Medicine: Exercise Treatment for Depression
- "Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain"; John J. Ratey and Eric Hagerman; 2010
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