Depression And anxiety: Exercise Eases Symptoms

Depression symptoms may improve with exercise. Includes tips from a Mayo Clinic expert.
If you have depression or anxiety, you might find your doctor prescribing a regular dose of exercise in addition to medication or psychotherapy. Exercise isn't a cure for depression or anxiety. But its psychological and physical benefits can improve your symptoms.

"It's not a magic bullet, but increasing physical activity is a positive and active strategy to help manage depression and anxiety," says Kristin Vickers-Douglas, Ph.D., a psychologist at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

When you have depression or anxiety, exercising may be the last thing you think you can do. But you can overcome the inertia. Here's a look at how exercise can ease symptoms of depression and anxiety. Plus, get realistic tips to get started and stick with exercising.
How exercise helps depression and anxiety
Exercise has long been touted as a way to maintain physical fitness and help prevent high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and other diseases. A growing volume of research shows that exercise also can help improve symptoms of certain mental conditions, such as depression and anxiety. Exercise also may help prevent a relapse after treatment for depression or anxiety.

Research suggests that it may take at least 30 minutes of exercise a day for at least three to five days a week to significantly improve symptoms of depression. However, smaller amounts of activity — as little as 10 to 15 minutes at a time — have been shown to improve mood in the short term. "So, small bouts of exercise may be a great way to get started if it's initially too difficult to do more," Dr. Vickers-Douglas says.

Just how exercise reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety isn't fully understood. Researchers believe that exercise prompts changes in both mind and body.
Some evidence suggests that exercise postively affects the levels of certain mood-enhancing neurotransmitters in the brain. Exercise may also boost feel-good endorphins, release tension in muscles, help you sleep better and reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol. It also increases body temperature, which may have calming effects. All of these changes in your mind and body can improve such symptoms as sadness, anxiety, irritability, stress, fatigue, anger, self-doubt and hopelessness.

If you exercise regularly but depression or anxiety still impairs your daily functioning, seek professional help. Exercise isn't meant to replace medical treatment of depression or anxiety.
The benefits of exercise for depression and anxiety

Exercise has numerous psychological and emotional benefits when you have depression or anxiety. These include:

• Confidence. Engaging in physical activity offers a sense of accomplishment. Meeting goals or challenges, no matter how small, can boost self-confidence at times when you need it most. Exercise also can make you feel better about your appearance and your self-worth.

• Distraction. When you have depression or anxiety, it's easy to dwell on how badly you feel. But dwelling interferes with your ability to problem solve and cope in a healthy way. Dwelling also can make depression more severe and longer lasting. Exercise can provide a good distraction. It shifts the focus away from unpleasant thoughts to something more pleasant, such as your surroundings or the music you enjoy listening to while you exercise.

• Interactions. Depression and anxiety can lead to isolation. That, in turn, can worsen your condition. Exercising can create opportunities to interact with others, even if it's just exchanging a friendly smile or greeting as you walk around your neighborhood.

• Healthy coping. Doing something beneficial to manage depression or anxiety is a positive coping strategy. Trying to feel better by drinking alcohol excessively, dwelling on how badly you feel, or hoping depression and anxiety will go away on their own aren't helpful coping strategies.

Tips to start exercising when you have depression or anxiety
Of course, knowing that something's good for you doesn't make it easier to actually do it. With depression or anxiety, you may have a hard enough time just doing the dishes, showering or going to work. How can you possibly consider getting in some exercise?

Beating Depression: Types of Depression Treatment

What is depression? Are there any similarities between manic depression (bipolar disorder) and anxiety depression? What help is available to sufferers, and is there any treatment for depression?

Symptoms and Causes of Depression
Depression often differs in intensity. It may vary from temporary bouts of feeling low to a state of long-lasting dejection. Depression could be due to stress, bereavement, or pollution. Consumption of narcotic substances and alcohol in large quantities may also lead to depression. A person suffering from depression may show a lack of energy and not be interested in his surroundings; he may lack concentration and may suffer aching, nausea, itching, giddiness and incomprehensible sadness. A number of these symptoms together indicate the need for treatment.

Treatment of Depression
According to Dr Tom Gilhooly, a GP in Glasgow, Scotland, there was a marked improvement among his patients when depression treatment consisted of fish oil supplements. In fact, this line of depression treatment saw a 60% improvement without the necessity of using antidepressants. However, Dr. Gilhooly believes that Omega 3 levels in the body need to be measured first so that the right dosage for treatment of depression can be estimated. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, tests for omega-3 body levels are expensive.

Can natural foods help in the treatment of depression? Drinking tea made out of cardamom several times a day has been shown to help. Relaxation techniques and exercise have also been of great help to those seeking treatment for depression. Regular exercise releases endorphins that make a person feel happier and keep the mind much more relaxed.

Deficiency of folate and magnesium may result in depression. Dietary supplements that replace deficient levels of vitamin B and magnesium, can help in the treatment of depression. In elderly people mood swings and depression may be caused due to improper absorption of essential vitamins, so it is very essential to ensure that the right minerals and vitamin supplements are taken.
A very important element in the treatment of depression is following the right diet and being cautious about the food you eat. Fruits and vegetables must be included in the diet and refined foods must be avoided. Vitamin B12, Vitamin C and foods rich in folate are very important.

Depression Or Anxiety

Here are some steps that can help you exercise when you have depression or anxiety:

• Get your doctor's support. Some, but not all, mental health professionals have adopted exercise as a part of their treatment suggestions. Talk to your doctor or therapist for guidance and support. Discuss concerns about an exercise program and how it fits into your overall treatment plan.

• Identify what you enjoy doing. Figure out what type of exercise or activities you're most likely to do. And think about when and how you'd be most likely to follow through. For instance, would you be more likely to do some gardening in the evening or go for a jog in the pre-dawn hours? Go for a walk in the woods or play basketball with your children after school?

• Set reasonable goals. Your mission doesn't have to be walking for an hour five days a week. Think about what you may be able to do in reality. Twenty minutes? Ten minutes? Start there and build up. Custom-tailor your plan to your own needs and abilities rather than trying to meet idealistic guidelines that could just add to your pressure.

• Don't think of exercise as a burden. If exercise is just another "should" in your life that you don't think you're living up to, you'll associate it with failure. Rather, look at your exercise schedule the same way you look at your therapy sessions or antidepressant medication — as one of the tools to help you get better.

• Address your barriers. Identify your individual barriers to exercising. If you feel intimidated by others or are self-conscious, for instance, you may want to exercise in the privacy of your own home. If you stick to goals better with a partner, find a friend to work out with. If you don't have extra money to spend on exercise gear, do something that is virtually cost-free — walk. If you think about what's stopping you from exercising, you can probably find an alternative solution.

• Prepare for setbacks and obstacles. Exercise isn't always easy or fun. And it's tempting to blame yourself for that. People with depression are especially likely to feel shame over perceived failures. Don't fall into that trap. Give yourself credit for every step in the right direction, no matter how small. If you skip exercise one day, that doesn't mean you're a failure and may as well quit entirely. Just try again the next day.

Sticking with exercise when you have depression or anxiety
Launching an exercise program is hard. Sticking with it can be even harder. One key is problem solving your way through when it seems like you can't or don't want to exercise.

"What would happen if you went out to your car and it wouldn't start?" Dr. Vickers-Douglas asks. "You'd probably be able to very quickly list several strategies for dealing with that barrier, such as calling an auto service, taking the bus, or calling your spouse or friend for help. You instantly start problem solving."
But most people don't approach exercise that way. What happens if you want to go for a walk but it's raining? Most people decide against the walk and don't even try to explore alternatives. "With exercise, we often hit a barrier and say, 'That's it. I can't do it, forget it,'" Dr. Vickers-Douglas says.

Instead, problem solve your way through the exercise barrier, just as you would other obstacles in your life. Figure out your options — walking in the rain, going to a gym, exercising indoors, for instance.
"Some people have the idea that being physically active is supposed to be easy and natural," Dr. Vickers-Douglas says. "Some think of it as just having enough willpower. But that really oversimplifies it and can make us feel like failures. You can't just rely on willpower. Identify your strengths and skills and apply those to exercise."

Are You Dealing With Anxiety And Depression?

Depression is often a case of anxiety that has just gotten out of control. More often that not, something happens within our lives that makes us anxious. Usually, the cause of our anxiety will usually pass and we move on with our lives. However, there are occasions when the anxiety is just so intense that the individual involved struggles to cope with the situation that they are faced with and depression soon follows.

Research studies have also shown that a lack of proper nutrition can also lead to possible problems with depression. Poor eating habits and too much junk food can lead to a shortage of the vitamins and minerals that your body so desperately needs. This can also lead to an imbalance with your body’s neurotransmitters which can possibly lead to anxiety or depression problems. A healthy diet doesn’t only benefit your physical health!

Women can face problems with anxiety and depression during their monthly periods. This is all due to the woman’s hormone balance, or rather imbalance at the time. It’s a well known fact that depression affects more females than it does males, this is often due to the drastic changes in a woman’s hormone levels. As well as each month’s menstrual cycle, a woman will experience these hormonal changes during pregnancy and menopause too.
Whatever the cause of your anxiety and depression problems, the good news is that there is much help available to you in the form of medications and therapy to help treat and cure your problem. Indeed, there are many over the counter medications available to you for the treatment of depression today. However, we do advise that you chat with your doctor at first and discuss which medications may be suitable for you and your condition.