Fighting depression with exercise

1. Experience the runner’s high. Following a good workout, your body will experience what is known as a runner’s high, which results from an endorphin surge in your body. The temporary mood lift that this endorphin surge provides can be beneficial in reducing depression on a short-term basis.

• When you’re feeling tense, overwhelmed, or down in general, seek a temporary pick me up in the form of a workout. Go for a walk, hop on a treadmill or elliptical, or ride your bicycle. Even yoga, Pilates, and strength training workouts can provide you with a boost of endorphins to pick up your mood.

2. Improve your overall wellbeing. Strength training is a great way to improve your health and well being, which can reduce symptoms of depression. Lifting dumbbells, for example, can build long, lean muscle, which improves metabolism and builds a stronger and healthier body.

• While strength training may not directly impact your depression symptoms, its ability to improve your health can have long-term effects on your overall wellbeing.

3. Exercise daily. According to the Journal of Preventive Medicine, several weeks after you establish this regular exercise routine, you’ll begin to feel relief of your depression symptoms on a much more consistent basis.

4. Replace medications with exercise. The Journal of Preventive Medicine recently featured a study of patients with depression who worked out for at least 3 hours per week. This study found that the remission of these patients’ symptoms was comparable to cognitive behavioral therapies and medication treatments.

• While exercise may not be able to completely replace your need for other treatment options, it can benefit your mental well being in many ways, making it an excellent way to balance the therapies that you rely on for relief.

• If you’re currently in treatment or taking medication, discuss any changes in therapy or medications with your doctor before you change them.

5. Develop a routine. Developing a regular routine for exercise can have numerous benefits. Not only will you be combating your depression with exercise itself, but also having a routine to look forward to can boost your spirits and ward off the overwhelming feelings of depression.

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