An exercise session has many benefits including temporary relief of depression symptoms. Even though exercise is not a cure, every little bit helps.
As a research study showed, one workout can immediately lift your mood. It doesn’t take weeks of workouts as previously thought.
"Many people with depression attempt to self-medicate with alcohol, caffeine, or tobacco to manage their daily routine. Low- to moderate-intensity exercise appears to be an alternate way to manage depression, one that doesn't come with such negative health consequences," researcher John Bartholomew, PhD, said in a news release. Bartholomew is an associate professor in the department of kinesiology and health education at The University of Texas at Austin.
Previous research has proven that regular exercise is an effective, but often underused, treatment for mild to moderate depression. Regular exercise has been proven to:
--Reduce stress, anxiety, and depression
--Boost self-esteem
--Improve sleep
In this study, researchers studied the effects of a single workout session. They compared the effects of 30 minutes of walking on a treadmill with 30 minutes of quiet rest in 40 adults recently diagnosed with depression. The participants were not taking depression medication or exercising previous to the study.
Both groups had reduced feelings of tension, anger, depression, and fatigue. Only the exercise group reported feeling good. These good feelings were measured by improved scores on "vigor" and "well-being.”
The researchers have not determined why exercise improved positive feelings in the depressed participants.
Either way you look at it, exercise is good for you. These are some benefits of just 30 minutes of daily exercise activity like walking, jogging, biking, dancing or swimming:
1. Lost weight
2. Reduced body fat
3. Lower LDL levels (bad cholesterol)
4. Lower blood pressure
5. Improved heart function
6. Reduced risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease
7. Improved appearance and boost of self-esteem
8. Increased energy
9. Reduced health care costs
I hope you never have to experience temporary or prolonged depression. As more research is done on why exercise relieves depression symptoms, trainers will be able to design better exercise programs to help those suffering.
Source: WebMD medical reference
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES, CPT is a Certified Personal Trainer and former NCAA Division I athlete. Mark is the owner of My Fitness Hut, Her Fitness Hut, Sports Fitness Hut and My Nutrition Hut. Mark’s Fat Blaster Athletic Training System has been proven to give his clients the fit, sculpted and athletic-type bodies they want. Visit Mark’s main site:
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