Depressed? Consider Exercise as a Treatment

Any type of exercise may decrease the symptoms of depression.

Source: Image by Daniel Reche from Pixabay

Exercise. Just hearing the word brings feelings of dread and guilt to many. And we all know that motivating yourself to start can be challenging.

With depression, amotivation or a lack of motivation is a hallmark symptom. So, to do anything can be a challenge, making the thought of motivating yourself to exercise feel impossible. But there is increasing evidence that exercise may be as effective for some people as anti-depressant medication or psychotherapy. The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense’s Clinical Practice Guidelines for the treatment of depression recommend using it to augment traditional treatment or as the primary treatment if you are not inclined to see a provider.

Obviously, if you have severe depression symptoms and/or are considering suicide, exercise is not the treatment of choice. Please seek out a mental health provider, your primary care doctor, or go to the nearest emergency room. However, if your depression symptoms are not severe, or you are looking to augment an ongoing depression treatment, consider giving exercising a try. (Disclaimer: if you haven’t been exercising and/or have other medical conditions, please consult with your doctor before starting.)

OK. How do you start when motivation is already a challenge? There are two fundamental rules for starting exercise, whether you are experiencing depression or just want to start exercising:

1. Choose an exercise you enjoy.

Exercise is a loosely defined term that boils down to engaging in some type of physical activity that increases aerobic health or endurance, balance, strength, and/or flexibility. What this means is that the exercise or exercises you choose can literally be anything. Beach walking, playing frisbee, walking your dog, yard work, dancing, lifting weights, running, swimming, fossil hunting, team sports, golf, tennis, biking, yoga, hiking, formal exercise classes (e.g., Zumba, Step), fencing, martial arts including tai chi, stair climbing, throwing a baseball around, Pilates, strength training (e.g., weight training, push-ups, squats, etc.) – you get the idea. Do what you enjoy (or what doesn’t seem too terrible).

2. Set yourself up for success.

What this means is to start by doing something you know you can do, doesn’t take a lot of time, and is realistic. If you have been sedentary for a significant period and are out of shape, this could be doing five sit-ups, walking a slow quarter of a mile, or doing 10 bicep curls with 5-pound weights. The point is to do something. Because this will naturally build upon itself—the next day, you may find yourself doing just a bit more, and as you get better, you will add other exercises, distance, or reps because you will find yourself wanting to, not feeling as though you have to.

What does exercise do for depression?

Just as depression compounds upon itself and can be a vicious cycle, exercise does the same thing in the opposite direction. In thinking about depression, some of the symptoms, such as lack of energy and lack of motivation, worsen other symptoms of depression because people stop engaging in physical activities and activities with others. This leads to worsening mood.

Because people with depression may struggle with low energy, they often crave high-calorie foods with a lot of sugar and carbohydrates in order to get them through the day. This can lead to poor health and weight gain, which then compounds problems with energy and motivation, as well as potential problems with self-image and feelings of self-worth. Depression can put people into a downward spiral because depression symptoms feed themselves.

Exercise can help reverse this because it does the same thing in the opposite direction. Once you start exercising, the dread of the thought of exercising goes away, and you start to experience personal successes and a sense of control. Because exercise helps to increase energy, improve cognition, and increase motivation, you start doing more naturally, which leads to other physical activities, increased physical health, changes in brain chemistry, and increased social activities and interactions. When your body becomes accustomed to exercise, you also will start craving healthier foods, and if you have been wanting to lose weight, this may happen naturally. Exercise creates an upward spiral in much the same way that even mild depression can trigger a downward one.

Exercise is an interesting treatment. Assuming it is done responsibly such that you don’t hurt yourself) the side effects are positive, and many exercises don’t require expensive (or any) equipment. In addition to improving depression symptoms, it also is an effective strategy to prevent depressive episodes and is a highly effective form of stress management. Essentially, exercise is a low-cost option that avoids medication side effects, enhances physical and psychological health, and provides protection against future depression. If you are experiencing depression, it is definitely worth a try, either alone or in conjunction with your current treatment.

Disclaimer: The information presented in this blog is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or mental health treatment. Seek the advice of your mental health provider or primary care provider for professional advice about your mental health, including whether the information presented in this blog may be beneficial to you.