Q: I’ve been feeling depressed lately, but can’t put my finger on why. Will exercise help alleviate this depression?
A: There are two major causes of depression, and exercise can help in either case.
All of us, at one time or another, have felt depressed because of some life change. Loss of a job, death of a close relative, even prolonged illness can cause temporary despondency. This is reactive depression, a normal reaction to a particular stressful event.
On the other hand, endogenous depression is believed to originate from a biochemical abnormality in the brain. Unlike reactive depression, there is no apparent reason for it. The sufferer frequently feels guilty about being depressed because "there's nothing really wrong."
If endogenous depression has genetic and/or biochemical origins, is there much sense in pushing exercise as part of the treatment? Yes! The position taken by most physicians today is that any effective treatment program should include exercise. Reactive depression certainly responds to exercise. But exercise also affects moderate (but not severe) endogenous depression.
Many psychiatrists report that running three times a week is just as effective as traditional psychotherapy in the handling of mild to moderate depression. Exercise is the most reliable mood elevator known to man. Exercise stimulates the production of endorphins, which heighten mood and relieve pain. Moreover, the level of norepinephrine increases during exercise, with a surge of the chemical right afterward.
When you exercise, your body makes its own drugs, and you can practice self-induced pharmacological treatment. The mental changes that come from exercise are not solely the result of chemical fluctuations in the brain. Your mental attitude also changes as you become more confident of your abilities. Any time you set goals and achieve them through regular practice and discipline, you have feelings of mastery. You have replaced negative habits with positive ones. You have power.
One reason for depression is setting unrealistic goals that you can't achieve. Don't do the same with your exercise by setting uncompromising standards. Instead, enjoy it! Be a runner, not a racer. Notice how good the sun feels on your face. Psychological changes occur with time rather than intensity. You're better off jogging or walking for a comfortable 30 to 45 minutes than running hard for 15 minutes.
