Depression and exercise (Read 1492 times)

I came accross this today and wondered why they couldn't simply prescribe exercise instead of trying to find the chemistry and mechanics of the runner's high and offer that! Surely, with obesity levels soaring it's time to stop looking for short-cuts which offer the 'effects' of exercise without having to lift a finger. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7116891.stm I do realise that this is essentially a study to help with depression not obesity but it worries me all the same.

You are right. Would it be that radical for a general practitioner to write a presciption for a pair of Sauconys, a tech running shirt and some leggings. Patients could be asked to fill in a a log and ,BANG!, life changed for the better...

What is astounding is that most people would see your MIL's friend's reaction as 'normal'. I still get people asking me why I run..WTF... I hope that leading by example and giving the odd nudge where necessary that we can promote a healthier approach to life. Maybe you can point out the success stories on this forum Zooms, notwithstanding you own, to show how much progress possible in terms of weight loss, weight control and health benefits eg. asthma and diabetes control and not forgetting depression.

Ain't that the truth. I'm in my 3rd year of pharmacy school and most of what we learn is the drugs. We do discuss diet and exercise, but our society is so geared towards just taking pills to fix everything. When we covered Diabetes, I asked our profs how possible it is for someone diagnosed with diabetes to get completely off meds and have normal blood sugar levels if they lost weight and exercised. They said this is possible and have seen it in motivated individuals. This motivates me to help others try to achieve this goal of being healthy without medications.

Well, it's definitely possible in those with type 2 (not with type 1, though diet is still important). I was a die-hard low-carber until I started running (and I still probably eat a lot fewer carbs than the average person) and there were several people on the message boards I read who were type 2s who were able to eliminate the need for meds by simply losing weight, exercising, and controlling their high-glycemic carb intake. Running hasn't helped me to lose weight ('cause it makes me hella hungry and I don't run well when I'm hungry...so I pretty much maintain my weight), but I am much fitter, my joints feel better, and I have out-of-this-world blood levels and low blood pressure. The proof is in the puddin'. Depression has never been an issue for me, but I know quite a few people who take meds for depression. I can't help but wonder if some of them would be helped with regular exercise...to at least minimize the meds they need. I can't think of a single person I know IRL who takes depression meds and exercises. Inactivity isn't a natural state for our species. It makes me wonder if some of the depression folks deal with is a result of not giving their bodies the exercise they require....

Exercise helps to some extent with depression, with some people. But there's a lot more to it than that, just like there's a lot more to treating depression with pills. Exercise or pharmacological solutions alone don't do much. The two together, coupled with therapy, do make a world of difference, though. Exercise can certain help with things, though. But it can itself become an issue, if a person isn't careful.

Hi Kristen, I did some research for a presentation and a paper last semester comparing anti-depressants to exercise. What I found is that it is believed that exercise stimulates nerve regeneration in the hippocampus. It is thought that atrophying (shrinking) of the hippocampus may be a major contributor in mild to moderate depression and stimulating regrowth of nerve cells in this area can counteract depressive symptoms. Anti-depressants act in similar ways. There is still so much we do not know about the brain and other positive aspects of exercise such as all the positive benefits of endorphin release during exercise. But, everything I read points towards exercise being just as effective if not more effective in mild to moderate cases of depression. There are lots of anectdotal stories out there as well about this. For example, I've had period of minor to moderate bouts of depression throughout my life and these have been very minimal since I took up running 5 years ago.

<also, there are more emotional and pyschological barriers to exercise (esp. for those who have been fat for most of their lives) than many of us can truly empathize with... but we can try. that's very true! such as my 7th grade gym teacher telling me i would be better at gymastics if i lost some weight - looking back at my photos, i really wasn't heavy at that point (also, i could have weighed 50 pounds and i would still have sucked at gymnastics, lol). or when another gym teacher had all the 8th graders run, and posted our times up on a big chart for everyone to see, and i was last on the list out of about 200! no wonder it took me until i was 43 to get up the nerve to try running! i've never suffered from depression as my mom has, but i know that running makes me feel more positive than i did before i started. there="" are="" more="" emotional="" and="" pyschological="" barriers="" to="" exercise="" (esp.="" for="" those="" who="" have="" been="" fat="" for="" most="" of="" their="" lives)="" than="" many="" of="" us="" can="" truly="" empathize="" with...="" but="" we="" can="" try.="" that's="" very="" true!="" such="" as="" my="" 7th="" grade="" gym="" teacher="" telling="" me="" i="" would="" be="" better="" at="" gymastics="" if="" i="" lost="" some="" weight="" -="" looking="" back="" at="" my="" photos,="" i="" really="" wasn't="" heavy="" at="" that="" point="" (also,="" i="" could="" have="" weighed="" 50="" pounds="" and="" i="" would="" still="" have="" sucked="" at="" gymnastics,="" lol).="" or="" when="" another="" gym="" teacher="" had="" all="" the="" 8th="" graders="" run,="" and="" posted="" our="" times="" up="" on="" a="" big="" chart="" for="" everyone="" to="" see,="" and="" i="" was="" last="" on="" the="" list="" out="" of="" about="" 200!="" no="" wonder="" it="" took="" me="" until="" i="" was="" 43="" to="" get="" up="" the="" nerve="" to="" try="" running!="" i've="" never="" suffered="" from="" depression="" as="" my="" mom="" has,="" but="" i="" know="" that="" running="" makes="" me="" feel="" more="" positive="" than="" i="" did="" before="" i="" started.=""></also, there are more emotional and pyschological barriers to exercise (esp. for those who have been fat for most of their lives) than many of us can truly empathize with... but we can try. that's very true! such as my 7th grade gym teacher telling me i would be better at gymastics if i lost some weight - looking back at my photos, i really wasn't heavy at that point (also, i could have weighed 50 pounds and i would still have sucked at gymnastics, lol). or when another gym teacher had all the 8th graders run, and posted our times up on a big chart for everyone to see, and i was last on the list out of about 200! no wonder it took me until i was 43 to get up the nerve to try running! i've never suffered from depression as my mom has, but i know that running makes me feel more positive than i did before i started. >

I came accross this today and wondered why they couldn't simply prescribe exercise instead of trying to find the chemistry and mechanics of the runner's high and offer that! Surely, with obesity levels soaring it's time to stop looking for short-cuts which offer the 'effects' of exercise without having to lift a finger. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7116891.stm I do realise that this is essentially a study to help with depression not obesity but it worries me all the same.

It's more complicated than that. You can't exercise all day long. There needs to be something for when exercise, healthy diet, etc.. are not enough.