Does exercise assist with depression and anxiety

[igotoverit]

I find when I am happy, I hit the gym. As someone who struggles with depression, I find it nearly impossible on those days to attend the gym. Does anyone have experience with this?

[BaileyB]

Definitely. It's that old saying... Bodies in motion, tend to stay in motion. Bodies that are depressed and at rest, tend to want to stay at rest.

 

I find that usually, if I can push myself to get there... I usually enjoy the exercise when I'm there. And, there is evidence to show that exercise is more effective than medication in treating mild/moderate depression.

[Gr8fuln2020]

Definitely. It's that old saying... Bodies in motion, tend to stay in motion. Bodies that are depressed and at rest, tend to want to stay at rest.

 

I find that usually, if I can push myself to get there... I usually enjoy the exercise when I'm there. And, there is evidence to show that exercise is more effective than medication in treating mild/moderate depression.

 

Newton’s First Law of Inertia?

 

I exercise daily and it does help with my mild depression.

[igotoverit]

Thank you, I guess I am just waiting to be ready to go but the answer is to just go. I might do a video at home to get back into exercise. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

[Gr8fuln2020]

Thank you, I guess I am just waiting to be ready to go but the answer is to just go. I might do a video at home to get back into exercise. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

 

It really does help. I don't know what your physical condition is, but it also helps to create some additional confidence in yourself and seeing the results of hard work and exercise. I am in the best shape I have been in since my 20-30s and I just turned 49.

[GorillaTheater]

Exercise is the one of the best things you can do to treat depression. If you can't force yourself to go the gym (and you should), at least go for long walks or bike rides. Just move and keep moving.

[Shanex]

Aye, its definitely a great thing along with finding love of course.

 

That said, if you are on various antidepressants or downers Id suggest to ask the doc or psychiatrist as to what your heart can or cannot handle. If you aren't then go for it.

[lucy_in_disguise]

In my experience- absolutely. Personally I find that exercising outside (i.e. Running), particularly in day time, is most effective of all. I think it has something to do with increased oxygen, vitamin d, and the feeling that you are out there, part of your world. IMO running (or more precisely, long distance jogging) is actually quite crappy for fat loss- weight lifting and nutrition seem to be much more effective - but I could never give it up for the mental benefits.

 

If you are feeling to depressed to go to the gym, force yourself to go on a long walk/ jog...

Edited January 11, 2018 by lucy_in_disguise

[Arieswoman]

igotoverit,

Yes, absolutely - go for it !

[sorano]

Any form of aerobic workouts actually rewires the brain. Anaerobic workouts like weight lifting, really doesn't have that effect. If you do both, it can change your life. weight lifting does make you feel better after you train but its not enough to get the maximum benefits on exercise. I am not talking about building or sculpting the body. I am talking about depression, better memory, sharper thinking, and fighting fatigue.

 

In some parts of europe, doctors actually place patients, including children who have ADHD, on aerobic regimens. They found that the patients responded better to this method than prozac. It had drug like effects if not better.

 

If anyone gets a chance, read the book SPARK.

[igotoverit]

Thank you for all the responses. I read them all and found them extremely helpful. I don't think I am gym ready but I should start some form of exercise.

[whichwayisup]

Do yoga! It really does help.

[jjgitties]

I find when I am happy, I hit the gym. As someone who struggles with depression, I find it nearly impossible on those days to attend the gym. Does anyone have experience with this?

 

not in my case. i actually find i go running and hit the gym more when i am feeling down because it helps be get out of my funk.

[preraph]

Yes, physical activity of any kind is helpful to your mental state as well as, obviously, physical. It was especially beneficial to me when I was in major depression and was overwhelmed with anger. I took up water aerobics and we boxed with milk cartons. I was brutal. Hah. It really really helps to destress you. I don't know how you are, but the stress was making my body ache. I was just very tense. Exercise releases some of that, plus on another level, it makes you proud of yourself for doing it or doing, you know, something, anything besides wallowing.

 

The other thing that helped me was volunteer work. I only did it once a week, and I had always kind of wanted to but never had time. I did it at the zoo because animals are one of my two big loves. It had an unexpected positive effect on me that I didn't anticipate, which was that now I had something not depressing to report to whatever few friends had hung in with me through the "do nothing" and rageful depression. So you might consider doing something like that. It's not a lot of commitment.

[snowboy91]

Another yes here. When in a depressed state, socialising and exercising are the last things you want to do, but the first things you SHOULD do. Exercise makes your body release endorphins which assist with positive mood. Which will make you feel better about exercising next time, and the cycle continues.

 

Some forms of depression can feel like a downward spiral. I find that exercise and reaching out can reverse that spiral, but only if you're persistent enough.

[Theskyisgreennot]

I find when I am happy, I hit the gym. As someone who struggles with depression, I find it nearly impossible on those days to attend the gym. Does anyone have experience with this?

 

 

Go to the gym anyways!

[SJS]

At the first therapy session I ever went to, my therapist said 30 min of exercise something like 4-5 times per week was equivalent to being on an antidepressant. While I've never been on an antidepressant, I did find it helpful to my mental well-being. Not only that, sometimes that seemed like the only time I did something nice specifically for ME.

[IReallyLovePuppies]

Depression is mind and the chemical in your body out of balance.. I've been there before.

 

Best way to combat that is to pump your body full of endorphins and beside sex.. exercising is really the only way I can think of that can accomplish this.

 

Stay the course.. There's a saying..

 

You can be where you are and unhealthy in 5 years time or you can be a better you and healthy in 5 years time.. the journey stars today.

 

If you've follow my posts.. the past few weeks been hard and.. actually, the past few years been hard but I promised myself.. wake up.. Drink water and gym in the morning before the day starts.. It really has helped me a lot and I promise it will help you too.

[FastHands]

When I'm severely saddened, I can't work or will I work out. When I start feeling a little better is when I work out briefly (sometimes with anger). Gradually I get back to where I was before. Damn cruelties of life.

[Andy_K]

I find when I am happy, I hit the gym. As someone who struggles with depression, I find it nearly impossible on those days to attend the gym. Does anyone have experience with this?

 

I have the inverse problem... if I can't do any exercise for more than about four days, it makes me start to feel depressed. And agitated.

[Sbla22]

Whenever I go the gym or do exercise I feel normal and sometimes happy. However, recently this lasts around an hour or so and then I have a sort of 'come down' where I lie there feeling tired and anxious/****.

 

If I don't go at all to the gym or like today where I have not even left the house, I feel really bad. I feel nervous and sad and lonely.

 

This is like when I'm at work too. Whenever I'm there I feel ol and just get on with my job. I feel good conversing with my colleagues. But then on the drive home suddenly everything seems so gloomy again.

 

For about a year now I've noticed the only times I am consistently happy over a week is if I am in a relationship or have a girl to text/speak to, maybe from OLD. Like this week I have set a first date up for Tuesday. I have some mild anxiety that she wont show up or cancel even though she seemed very keen. But I feel ok because of it.

 

The weeks where nothing seems to happen on my OLD scene are the worst - that's when I feel most lonely and hopeless.

 

I'm not sure how normal this is. I am trying to make improvements in my life but feels like it's really slow progress right now.