Depression affects as many as 9 percent of Americans -- more women than men, more between the ages of 45 and 64 -- at some point in their lives, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While medications can treat depression, they often come with significant side effects that makes them unacceptable to some sufferers. Regular exercise may help alleviate depression, and exercising at the gym may have advantages over exercising at home.
Benefits
Exercise releases chemicals that can help combat depression. Neurotransmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine can increase depression, while endorphins, peptide hormones that bind to opioid receptors, can decrease pain and may also alleviate depression. Exercise can also raise your body temperature, which also appears to have antidepressant effects. Exercise may also increase blood flow to the brain.
Benefits of the Gym
An occasional walk in the park probably won't have a major impact on depression, but regular, moderately strenuous exercise three to five times a week may increase endorphins. Going to the gym to exercise on a regular basis may have several benefits, especially if you're fighting depression. Going to the gym gets you out of the house and involved with other people. The gym also provides variety so you don't get bored with exercise and quit after a few weeks. Knowing that you paid good money to be there may also motivate you to stick it out at the gym.
Studies
Several clinical studies have shown benefits of exercise on depression. Researchers from The Cooper Institute, Behavioral Science Research Center published an article in the January 2005 issue of the "American Journal of Preventative Medicine." After 12 weeks, the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score fell for those participating in a moderate exercise program. A Duke University Medical Center article published in the September-October issue of "Psychosomatic Medicine" found that exercise therapy alone was as helpful in relieving depression over a 10-month period as medication or a combination of exercise and medication.
Caveats
Use exercise as part of your plan to treat depression only with the help of your doctor; you may still need to take medication. Depression can have serious consequences and should not be treated lightly. Work up to a moderately strenuous exercise program slowly if you haven't already been exercising, or you could injure yourself. Working with a trainer at the gym for a few sessions can help you establish a regimen that works for you. Joining classes may make it easier for you to start participating than exercising alone.
References
- Family Education: Exercise at Home or at the Gym?
- American Journal of Preventative Medicine: Exercise Treatment for Depression: Efficacy and Dose Response
- MayoClinic.com: Depression and Anxiety: Exercise Eases Symptoms
- Psychosomatic Medicine: Exercise Treatment for Major Depression: Maintenance of Therapeutic Benefit at 10 Months
- El Paso Mental Health and Mental Retardation: Biology of Depression - Neurotransmitters
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: An Estimated 1 in 10 U.S. Adults Report Depression
