Regular exercise can improve your mood, if you have a mild to moderate case of depression. Exercise may also support treatment for severe depression. The results of a 1999 "Archives of Internal Medicine" study suggest that exercise may be an acceptable substitute for antidepressants for patients who need to avoid drugs. Performing at least 30 minutes of daily exercise three to five days a week can improve depression symptoms, says MayoClinic.com.
Brain Chemicals
Exercise releases brain chemicals that may help suppress depression, says MayoClinic.com. Circulating beta-endorphins increase during exercise. These chemicals regulate your mood, reduce pain and may induce feelings of euphoria. Exercise may increase serotonin levels in your brain. Serotonin stabilizes your mood by allowing other brain chemicals to function properly. Cases of bipolar disorder, in particular, commonly arise from insufficient serotonin levels.
Immune System
The causes of depressive disorder and other mood disorders may be linked to stress. Stressful situations may also worsen symptoms of depression. Your immune system's response to stress includes a combination of nerve and hormone signals, such as adrenaline and cortisol secretions. This stress response communicates with brain regions that control mood, motivation and fear. Depression can result from persistent activation of your immune system in response to stress. Exercise may help treat depression by strengthening your immune system and suppressing overactive stress responses.
Self Esteem
Exercise may help treat depression by improving your self-esteem, according to a 2002 article by Centre for Sport and Exercise Science senior research fellow Amanda J. Daley. Exercise increases your functional fitness and physical abilities, which can improve your self-esteem by supporting a more positive perception of yourself. The positive physical results of regular exercise, such as fat loss and improved muscle tone, give you positive psychological feedback. You may gain a sense of achievement in your physical self, take more pride in your body and continue improving your fitness.
Healthy Distraction
Depression may narrow your perspective and involve negative introspection, which develops into a pattern of negative thoughts and worries. Treatment for depression involves stopping this pattern, which involves activities that help you focus outward. Exercise offers a healthy distraction that can improve depression by suppressing cycles of negative thoughts, which dampen your mood, reports MayoClinic.com. A 2004 article by researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine suggests that exercise may reduce depression more than self-focused activities such as journaling or describing your mood.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Depression and Anxiety --- Exercise Eases Symptoms; Mayo Clinic staff; October 2009
- Vanderbilt University Health: Exercise and Depression
- National Institute of Mental Health; Depression; September 2010
- ScienceDaily; Biological Link Between Stress, Anxiety and Depression Identified; April 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Stress: Constant Stress Puts your Health at Risk; Mayo Clinic staff; September 2010
- "The Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry"; The Benefits of Exercise for the Clinically Depressed; 2004
