When you’re suffering from depression or anxiety, exercise often feels like the last thing you want to do. But once you feel motivated, exercise can make a world of difference.
Thanks to exercise, various health problems can be prevented and improved, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and arthritis. Research on depression, anxiety, and exercise suggests that the psychological and physical benefits of exercise also improve mood and reduce anxiety.
The links between depression, anxiety, and exercise aren’t entirely clear, but exercise and other physical activities definitely improve symptoms of depression or anxiety, and help you feel better. Also, when you feel good, exercise can prevent depression and anxiety from returning.
Regular exercise can help relieve depression and anxiety by allowing you to:
Releasing feel-good endorphins, natural brain chemicals similar to cannabis (endogenous cannabinoids), and other natural brain chemicals that can enhance your sense of well-being.
Take your mind off worries so you can break away from the cycle of negative thoughts that fuel depression and anxiety
Regular exercise also has many psychological and emotional benefits. It can help you achieve the following:
Gain confidence. Accomplishing exercise goals or challenges, even small ones, can promote self-confidence. Getting in shape can also make you feel better about how you look.
Have more social interaction. Exercise and physical activity can give you the opportunity to meet other people and socialize with them. A simple gesture like exchanging a friendly smile or greeting as you walk through your neighborhood can lift your mood.
Cope with problems in a healthy way. Doing something positive to control anxiety or depression is a healthy coping strategy. Trying to make yourself feel better by drinking alcohol, obsessing over how bad you feel, or hoping that depression or anxiety will go away on its own can make symptoms worse.
OTHER OPTIONS
Some research has shown that physical activity, such as regular walks – not just formal exercise programs – can help improve mood. Physical activity and exercise are not the same, but both are beneficial to your health.
Physical activity is any activity in which the muscles work and that requires energy; It can include work tasks, household chores, or recreational activities.
Exercise is a planned, structured and repetitive bodily movement performed to improve or maintain physical fitness.
The word “exercise” might make you think of running around the gym. But exercise includes a wide range of activities that increase your activity level to help you feel better.
Sure, running, lifting weights, playing basketball, and other fitness activities that get your heart rate up can help. But this is also true for physical activity, such as gardening, washing the car, walking around the block, or doing other less intense activities. Any physical activity that gets you up off the couch and moving around can improve your mood.
HOW MUCH IS NEEDED?
Exercising for 30 minutes or more a day three to five days a week can significantly improve symptoms of depression or anxiety. But small amounts of physical activity, as little as 10 to 15 minutes at a time, can make a difference. It may take less time to exercise to improve your mood when activities are more vigorous, such as running or biking.
The mental health benefits of exercise and physical activity can only last if you stick with it long-term—another good reason to focus on finding activities you enjoy.
Starting an exercise routine or regular physical activity and sticking to it can be challenging. These steps may help:
Find something that you find enjoyable to do. Decide which physical activities you would most likely do and think about when and how you would be most likely to do them. For example, are you more likely to spend some time gardening in the evening, start the day by going for a run or bike ride, or play basketball with your kids after school? Do what you enjoy and that will help you keep doing it.
Get support from your mental health professional. Talk to your doctor or mental health professional for guidance and support. Discuss an exercise program or physical activity routine and how it fits into your overall treatment plan.
Set reasonable goals. It is not necessary that your mission is to walk an hour five days a week. Think realistically about what you can do and start gradually. Tailor your plan to your own needs and abilities, rather than setting yourself unrealistic guidelines that you’re unlikely to meet.
Don’t think of exercise or physical activity as an obligation. If exercise is just another “must” in your life that you think you’re not doing, you’ll associate it with failure. Instead, view your exercise or physical activity program the same way you view your therapy sessions or medications: as one of the tools to help you feel better.
Source: Mayo Clinic