Almost 10 percent of American adults suffer from depression each year, according to research by the Boston University School of Medicine. Some cases are severe enough to warrant medication. But even going outside and raking your lawn for half an hour might help. Any activity at all, and particularly moderate to strenuous exercise, pumps up mood and endorphins.
Impact on Body Chemicals
Exercise prompts the release of a rush of the body's "feel good" chemicals and natural painkillers such as serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. Levels of these neurotransmitters are notably low in depressed patients and exercise can bring them back up to normal for a while. Exercise also reduces body chemicals associated with the immune system which can cause depression, as well as adrenaline and cortisol, the body's stress hormones.
Physiological Factors
When the body's core temperature increases in response to exercise, it directly impacts depression. As temperature rises, muscles relax. Increased warmth in certain areas of the brain also prompts relaxation. Exercise encourages deep breathing, which can increase a sense of well-being.
Emotional Effects
Exercise is empowering. When a patient achieves something significant, such as weight loss and toning up, or even something small, like leaving the isolation of home for a few minutes to walk around the block, it can bolster her belief that she can do other things as well. This affects the hopelessness and helplessness associated with depression. It's also difficult to dwell on worries and concerns while you're being physically active. Some activities can offer contact with others and interaction that may not be available to the patient at home. Exercise classes and programs match depressed patients with others who have similar goals, promoting a sense of camaraderie. When a patient begins to feel good about how she looks, it can be a major step in the recovery process.
Recommendations
MayoClinic.com points out that although 30 minutes of exercise three to five days a week is ideal, depressives can benefit from any exercise at all. Strenuous exercise equates to more dramatic recovery, but even small increments of mild activity can make a difference. Walking the dog, gardening, and almost anything that involves movement can benefit a patient if he does it on a daily basis. It can give a depressed patient something to look forward to, a time during the day when he is likely to feel good.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Depression and Anxiety -- Exercise Eases Symptoms; Mayo Clinic Staff; Oct. 23, 2009
- Harvard Health Publications; Benefits of Exercise; Harvard Men's Health Watch; February 2011
- Primary Care Companion to The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry; The Benefits of Exercise For the Clinically Depressed; Lynette L. Craft, Ph.D. and Frank M. Perna; Ed.D., Ph.D.; 2004
