Does Exercise help Depression? - Article

[jholden40]

A report out today suggests it doesn't

Exercise doesn't help depression, study concludes | Society | guardian.co.uk

[cashman1]

It's not that the exercise itself changes your depression diagnosis. It is that the exercise helps reduce the symptoms of depression. If you can exercise regularly it will definitely help - less isolation, feelings of control, thought stopping, etc.

[ClaraBell]

Thanks so much for posting this. I've always thought it to be true, but try telling that to whichever well meaning but patronising person is telling you you'll feel much better if you just "go for a walk" or "get out and do more".

[blowingrock]

A report out today suggests it doesn't

Exercise doesn't help depression, study concludes | Society | guardian.co.uk

Good post, and I agree that exercise helps with depression. When you do it gives off the bodies feel good chemicals aka. runners high....(endorphins)
Also when someone is depressed you tend to just not do much and that is not good as the commercial says your body assumes the condition that it perceives like not being in motion causes it to stiffen up and can bring on arthritis and if it is in motion it lubricates joints and such....make sense?

[littlebirdy]

To put it simply, regular exercise reduces the symptoms of depression but hands up all the depressed people who can get out of bed to do it.

[zakalipo]

I find with depression that it is hard to just get out of bed and exercise, but I find it does help. It helps for many other conditions too like headaches and anxiety.

I have a dog, so for me it's that extra kick in the butt to get up in the morning and go for a walk with him. Since I have been doing that, my symptoms are not as bad I find.

Conclusion: Everyone should get a puppy.

[Jeremy Fisher]

Morning JH,

Good thread.

I find that sometimes exercise helps and sometimes it doesn't. I went through a period a couple years ago where I was very depressed. So I said to myself, I am going to exercise for an hour 6 out of 7 days for 3 weeks and see if I feel better. I didn't. Usually it works for me.

But when I am very down, it's the first thing I turn too and it does often help. Of course the 90mg a day of Cymbalta does not hurt either.

[tadpol]

I don't see how they can dispute the physiological facts that increased activity releases certain chemicals in your brain (serotonin, dopamine, Epinephrine,Testosterone, Estrogen, Insulin, Glucose, etc.) Many of these hormones are boosted by the drugs they rx for depression. So if our bodies naturally produce them and we can generate that naturally how can that have zero effect? I'm not buying it.

Now I would say it's unrealistic to tell someone with depression they can "cure" themselves if they work out hard enough. That's a load of bunk.

IMHO

[Kat0711]

As a patient currently being treated for Sevier Depressive Disorder- Recurrent, I can tell you that yes it does help me. I go for two walks a day, one in the morning and one in the evening and I find that if for some reason (weather, or other activities) I don't get to have my two walks, I am VERY cranky. Exercise is definitely not a cure, but yes I do get that "high" from the endorphin's I guess, I feel much better after I walk than I do beforehand. SO I would have to disagree and so would my counselors, as regular exercise is highly encouraged (along with other treatment options i.e. medication, therapy etc.) .

JMHO,

Thanks
Kat

[msaok]

Sigh.
Where do I enroll for the study to determine whether studies about depression worsen depression.
Since anxiety and depression so often go hand in hand, perhaps for some, it's the anxiety that's relieved by exercise and then depression improves by extension? Or maybe it's more about what one can't be doing if exercising, such as isolating oneself while suffocating in morbid thoughts ?
Fwiw, I can't say exercise eliminated my depression, but it just may have kept mine from swallowing me whole. 'Course the day ain't over yet

[4legsgood]

Okay I'm laughing. I have had both knees scoped due to sight seeing with my hounds at a run , wore out shoulders building horse stalls and making pretty arms, broken too many bones to count with Kung fu etc but swear to Gawd it cures what ails me, almost every time. A great run has saved my now grown wonderful kids from good beatings... Gotten chores done in the garden and on the farm, kept my figure ok (implants and botox helped)....where do they get these idiotic studies? U try and be bitchy after splitting some wood (picture heads, whatever)
Now that would be amazing. Slave on I say . That is why they make pain killers. And sixe 6 dresses. Now if my bunions could get into some decent heels. Hey, naughty smurf, whadyathink of this post.... Yay, Nay?

[Roswell1947]

A report out today suggests it doesn't

Exercise doesn't help depression, study concludes | Society | guardian.co.uk

Does this mean you're going to quit your rigorous activities?
References:
http://www.pharmacyreviewer.com/foru...ar-runner.html & http://www.pharmacyreviewer.com/foru...ore-botty.html

[4legsgood]

Nah!!! Only the good die young. 4legs.

[fortgatlin]

This article is crap. There are too many variables which weren't mentioned. For example, a morning 3 mile walk (1 hour) around my neighborhood changes my outlook for the day considerably and is incredible at relieving anxiety the negative feelings resulting from my depression. Just being outside, smiling and waving at your neighbors does wonders. The reasons for depression are so complicated that their study concludes nothing in my opinion. I'm not talking about severe cases of depression where a person can't get out of bed, but my personal diagnosis of "clinical depression" as I can still function well, but with meds, benefits greatly from outdoor exercise.

And then they backtrack:

"However, it is important to note that increased physical activity is beneficial for people with other medical conditions such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease and, of course, these conditions can affect people with depression."

These conditions can affect people with depression? These conditions are often the cause of the depression in the first place, as are many other physical problems.

And another thing which was not addressed: What kind of exercise? When I joined a gym and there were TVs everywhere, mostly with news on (negative) or a ticker at the bottom (negative) it's difficult to ignore them. I was on a treadmill doing my 5 miles (at the time) on 9/11. Everything just stopped as the other people got off their machines and began clustering around the TVs. It's still like it happened yesterday. Everybody left the gym depressed after that. Then years of seeing "terror alert - elevated" on the bottom of the screen constantly. Outdoor activities can and have, in me, helped with my GAD and depression. But being inside with a TV full of negative news on a treadmill is just going to keep those negative thoughts floating around in your head.

Sorry for the rant or if I got off point, but that is my opinion.

Kind regards,

Jan

[chris100]

Take a B12 AND YOUR ON YOUR WAY.

[jholden40]

@fortgatlin
This is the actual research paper rather than a newspaper article on it:

Facilitated physical activity as a treatment for depressed adults: randomised controlled trial | BMJ

And here's someone who agrees with you

Exercise is no panacea for depression

Does this mean you're going to quit your rigorous activities?
References:
http://www.pharmacyreviewer.com/foru...ar-runner.html & http://www.pharmacyreviewer.com/foru...ore-botty.html

@Rowell10mg
I've arrived at a compromise - I wear my trainers whilst I drink the beer.

[fortgatlin]

@jholden40 I'm not disagreeing with the article, I'm just agreeing with myself.

[itis]

I've always felt really peaceful looking down on the world from a 5 or 6 thousand foot mtn. Makes me see how small we really are and how insignificant my probs may be. could just be me though, but I couldn't think exercise would hurt at all

[UGAgal]

Depression does get better with exercise and that is MY belief. Do an exer use you like to do. Who says you need to join the gym and lift weights or do the threadmill.

Dance around your house, go for a walk in the park, play the wii, dance while doing chores etc. I love listening to music and I love to dance. I also lobe lifting weights and being In a gym. What do I hate? The damn treadmill or any other cardio machine lol.

I do believe that exercise no matter what form (even sex is exercise) does make a depressed person feel better and that is my personal opionion.

[Jeremy Fisher]

And another thing which was not addressed: What kind of exercise? When I joined a gym and there were TVs everywhere, mostly with news on (negative) or a ticker at the bottom (negative) it's difficult to ignore them.

I agree w/your whole post. Methodology is the way to discredit almost every study. Remember that from my high school debate years.

Also, I HATE that tvs are everywhere! I leave the house to engage to a degree (ok do chores) but I don't want to see the damn tv. Nor do I want my dd to watch it.