When you're depressed, you can feel fatigued and unmotivated. The very thought of putting on your athletic shoes may seem overwhelming. But research shows that exercise can help reduce symptoms of depression.
How Exercise Helps Depression
Physical activity has a powerful impact on your body. It can strengthen your muscles, reduce weight, and prevent health problems such as cardiovascular disease. Regular exercise can also help to increase “feel-good” chemicals in the brain. One of these is the neurotransmitter serotonin. This chemical messenger helps relay signals from one area of the brain to another and is responsible for a wide range of funtions—including mood, appetite, sleep, sex drive, and others. Many health experts believe that low levels of serotonin or problems with the way the brain uses this chemical might result in depression.
Endorphins are other chemicals the brain releases in response to exercise. Endorphins work to block pain (so they ease the initial discomfort of exercising), and they also produce feelings of pleasure. A “runner's high” refers to endorphin release during a run that causes a strong sense of well-being to occur.
In addition to prompting the release of feel-good chemicals, exercise also reduces excess harmful chemicals within your body. One of these, called adrenaline, is a hormone that is produced when you're upset and anxious. It accelerates your heart rate and breathing and can make you feel jittery. It can also interfere with sleep.
There are emotional benefits to exercise, too. While doing physical activity, your mind is distracted from your troubles. And afterward, you will likely experience a sense of achievement. If you exercise with others, you may find yourself enjoying the social interaction.
How Much Is Enough?
Organizations such as the American Heart Association recommend that adults get 30 minutes or more of moderate intensity physical exercise at least five days per week. This may be a difficult or even impossible task for someone who is depressed. However, some research has shown that even 10-20 minutes of exercise can result in improved mood and energy levels, so this might be a better starting point. You can then work your way toward the recommended amount.
Tips to Stay Motivated
To overcome motivation problems often associated with depression, it's important to make a plan for exercising. This includes what you will do, how long you will do it, and who (if anyone) you'll do it with. Writing down your plan can help you stay on track. Consider the following when developing your plan:
- Find an activity you like to do. You'll find yourself much more likely to stick with an exercise program if you're having fun. If you are bored at the gym, consider biking, hiking, or dancing instead.
- Be realistic. Don't set yourself up for failure by resolving to run for 60 minutes the very first day. Start slowly, and work your way toward greater duration and intensity of exercise.
- Make yourself accountable. Many people find that if they make plans to exercise with a buddy or sign up for an exercise class, they are less likely to back out.
- Include a reward. Think of something you like to do, whether it's a trip to the mall, a movie, or even a long soak in the tub. Make this your daily or weekly reward for meeting your exercise goal.
What the Expert Says
“Exercise changes the mood in a positive way,” says Karol Ward, a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist based in New York. “It's important for it to be active movement—anything that is aerobic, such as swimming, brisk walking, biking, or dancing.”
Ward advises that you do something that appeals to you and try to stick with it by telling yourself that you only have to do it for 20 minutes at a time. Even this amount of exercise, she says, will help to get the metabolism going and help you to focus on something other than your problems.
