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Using An Exercise Program To Manage Depression

By: Nathan Milhoan Click author's name for more of his/her articles

Physicians regularly include exercise as part of their prescribed method of managing depression. While an exercise program may not eliminate depression, it does encourage healthy coping strategies. Studies have found that those people who exercise regularly receive a positive boost in how they feel physically and psychologically, which may help those who suffer from depression.

When you exercise, the body releases endorphins. These chemicals act as analgesics, reacting with the receptors in your brain that act as a sedative to relax your body, and reduce your perception of pain. They are produced in many parts of your body, including the brain and spinal cord. The endorphins work a lot like pain medicines by binding to the same neuron receptors, however when these receptors are activated, they don't lead to addiction or dependence as with pain medications such as morphine.

Additional benefits of exercise that relate to depression sufferers include lowered blood pressure, improved quality of sleep and increased energy levels

Psychologically, exercise has proven to have many positive effects on people. After a person exercises, he or she tends to feel a sense of accomplishment, which, leads to an increase in self-esteem. Other psychological benefits of exercise for those with symptoms of depression include stress reduction, distraction from unpleasant thoughts, and opportunities for positive interactions with others.

Depression can make it difficult to get motivated to take a shower, take out the trash, or go to work. Setting realistic goals allows you to still be able to benefit from exercise. Studies have found that adults who exercise at least 30 minutes per day, three to five days per week tend to experience significant improvements in their depression symptoms. To get yourself started, however, even smaller amounts of exercise can help in the short term. Begin with a shorter goal of 10-15 minutes each day. Do not make exercising a burden that adds stress and anxiety to your life.

To further increase your chances of being successful, develop your exercise program based on exercises that you enjoy. Studies have shown that any exercise appears to positively impact the symptoms of depression, so focus on what you like to do. Some examples of moderate to vigorous exercises are walking or jogging, swimming, riding a bike, dancing, doing housework, volleyball, tennis or basketball.

If your lifestyle is suited for working out around other people in a gym setting, look into your local facilities. Depending on your personal goals, local gyms offer many different of classes including kickboxing, yoga, and “spinning” (stationary bikes).

If you are more likely to exercise in the comfort of your own home, then assess your goals and decide what type of workouts you will be doing. There are excellent video workout routines that people have found success in, such as Core Secrets for stability ball core training, and P90X as a great total body workout program using a new concept of muscle confusion to prevent muscles from hitting a plateau.

Whatever you decide, be sure to change what you do often to prevent becoming bored with your exercises.

To learn more about the effects of exercise on depression, please visit http://www.exerciseanddepression.com