Exercise

There have been several studies done that support exercise in improving symptoms of depression. Possible effects of exercise include:

Exercise may increase serotonin levels in the brain improving symptoms of depression.
Exercise requires taking an active role in recovery leading to improved self esteem.
Exercise can help relieve stress by burning off stress chemicals such as adrenaline.
Exercise can stimulate the release of endorphins in our body which are a natural opioid. Endorphins have a relaxing and calming effect on the body.
Exercise may distract us from negative thinking.

In addition to these positive effects on mood, exercising can also improve cardiovascular fitness, reduce cholesterol levels, reduce blood pressure, improve muscle tone and assist in maintaining a healthy weight.

There is no question that regular exercise can benefit us. Then why are we so resistant to doing it?

For most people incorporating exercise into their daily routine is a change, and change takes effort. Change can also seem particularly difficulty when you’re depressed. As human creatures we resist change and prefer to operate on auto-pilot. The interesting thing is that what is required to make a change is to just keep doing the new behavior over and over again until the new behavior becomes auto-pilot. So it is really the initial phase of incorporating exercise that is so difficult.

Ways to be successful include:

Setting a realistic and attainable goal!! Don’t attempt to make a huge change, keep it simple, fun and attainable. (10 minute walk after
dinner around the block). Think of things that you enjoy doing…if you hate to run then don’t start out by setting a goal to run a mile.
Find ways to reward yourself when you meet your goal. No, not chocolate cake but something healthy like 30 minutes of free reading uninterrupted or buying a nice pair of walking shoes.
Often something as simple as sticking a fun sticker on your calendar for the days you have meet your goal can be very motivating and rewarding.

So how much exercise is enough?

Operating on the principle that anything is better then nothing can be helpful at first. Even 10 minutes 3x week is a start. Chances are that once you get going you will naturally increase to 20 minutes. As this becomes more comfortable then increase the number of days per week. Acknowledge and celebrate your progress along the way. You do not need to be doing more then 20-30 minutes 3-5x week to benefit from the exercise.

Keep a log of how many minutes you exercise each day. Each week increase your exercise to the next level that you are comfortable with.

Once you are doing this you can congratulate yourself on incorporating an exercise program into your daily routine. Now if you decide you would like to do more there are many resources we can tell you about to expand your program further.

Note: Always check with your clinician before starting any exercise routine.

Click here to download Introduction to
Self Management For Depression manual with
additional exercise section [PDF]