DEPRESSION & EXERCISE.
We all feel sad, moody or low from time to time, depression is more than that. This is a serious condition with impact on both physical and mental health.
There is no known exact cause however these factors can facilitate depression.
- Family history especially history of violence
- Serious medical illness without counseling for example cancers
- Drug and alcohol use
- Recent stressful life events like first pregnancy.
Doing regular exercise helps prevent and manage mild-moderate depression.
Research suggests that regular exercise may increase the level of brain serotonin, a neurotransmitter involved in regulating mood, sleep, libido, appetite and other functions.
Problems in the serotonin pathways of the brain have been linked to depression.
Exercise can also increase the level of endorphins (feel good hormones) in the brain which have ‘mood-lifting’ properties.
Regular exercise may alleviate symptoms of depression by:
- increasing energy levels
- improving sleep
- distracting from worries and rumination
- providing social support and reducing loneliness if exercise is done with other people
- increasing a sense of control and self-esteem, by allowing people to take an active role in their own well-being.
Exercise does not need to be extremely vigorous to be helpful for depression – a brisk walk each day can be beneficial.
We recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise on most, preferably all, days of the week. An example of ‘moderate intensity’ exercise is brisk walking where a slight increase in breathing and heart rate is noticeable.
Both aerobic exercise (e.g. brisk walking, cycling or jogging) and resistance or strength training (e.g. weight-lifting) have been found to be helpful in treating depression.
So the next time you feel low, why not exercises
Credit to black dog institute for information.
