Summary: How Exercise May Protect Against Depression

There is a flourishing interest in the use of physical activity or exercise in the treatment of depression because

Some hypothesize that moderate levels of exercise will decrease the symptoms of mental health conditions (Blumenthal et al., 2007; Diaz & Motta, 2008; Motta, Kuligowski, & Marino, 2010; Rosenbaum, Nguyen, Lenehan, Tiedemann, van der Ploeg, & Sherrington, 2011) and therefore be used as an alternative or complimentary treatment option for mental health (Libby, Pilver, & Desai, 2012).

Since 1990s, many scientists agree that exercise has positive impacts on people’s physical health and mental health (SIME WE, 1987). From Morgan and O’Connor’s research, people can reduce stress and state anxiety by doing physical activities; also gain emotional pleasure from the process (Morgan and O’Connor, 1988). Later in 1997, Landers states that physical activities can reduce people depression after weeks of regular and routine exercise. In addition, people can benefit from more

Maintaining your weight, improving your mood, improving your overall brain function, and combating conditions like diabetes are all benefits to exercising on a regular basis. I exercise through biking, walking, lifting, and playing softball at RASA. I walk or bike probably three times a week, lift twice a week, and play softball two to three times a week, thus causing me to be very active. I think physical activity helps me with my mental outlook because I have time dedicated to myself, with no stress. Exercise for me is a time to think and cleanse my thoughts as well as my mind. I think my exercise routine benefits all seven habitudes, but more specifically my adaptability and my curiosity. For instance, while playing softball, I must adapt

Exercise Relieves Anxiety Stress and Depression fitness center is a family owned business that was formed in 2009. ERASD Fitness Center grew out of a desire to help family members suffering from depression, anxiety and stress through exercise routines. Without certain medical credentials we felt useless but knew we had to do something that would be beneficial in helping the mind, and body of loved ones dealing with those sort of issues. We started out as a small group of instructors with a degree of professionalism in the field of fitness, medicine and management. It began in the basement of our family home and eventually took over most of the 4 bed room house with fitness classes and private mentoring sessions. We began teaching life coach classes coupled with body strong techniques for strength, weight training and low impact exercises as a means of providing some constructive mentoring time with the youth in our family who were suffering with this illness. They all had one common denominator and that was they were bored. This boredom often lead to them making wrong choices.

This report aims to determine the efficacy and benefits of exercise in the management of depression, which is classified by the World Health Organisation as a mood disorder. In order to place exercise therapy into context, conventional methods for treating clinical depression are discussed. A personal meta-analysis is then undertaken, summarising the findings of studies that have explored the clinical significance of physical exercise as an intervention in treating depression. The advantages and disadvantages of such an intervention are described, and

By involving yourself in physical activity you can reduce the risk of heart disease by 35% and Diabetes by 22%. A great determinant for mental illness such as depression is without doubt physical activity as it gets the endorphins pumping around your

When I was a kid I used to have a hard time expressing how I felt, and I couldn’t ever reach out for help. I was always the quiet kid in class. Until one day my friends invited me to this new exercise class. After I had went about 3 times I noticed my mood had significantly changed. It was like I became a new person, who laughed and had a good time. I thought my hard times were just a stage I went through. But I decided to look into it. After research, I conclude that exercise can actually help your mood, and improve your quality of life.

For decades, scientists have been studying the positive effect that exercise has on the brain They have found that exercise reduced stress, improved cognitive functioning and kept depression at bay. An article from Harvard Medical School stated that exercise reduced the levels of adrenaline and cortisol and stimulated the production of endorphins, the brains mood elevators. Endorphins can create the feeling of relaxation. Similar findings were also reported by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. They found that aerobic exercise decreases overall stress, stabilizes mood, and improves sleep.

I hypothesized that moderate amounts of exercise release endorphins and promote feelings of well-being, which, in turn, act as a counter against depression. While my hypothesis has proven to be true, there are a few flaws. According to

There is a strong positive correlation between mental health and exercise. Exercising releases hormones that stay in your body for hours after you finish exercising an example of these hormones are endorphins. Endorphins are what cause us to feel happiness; Norepinephrine is also released during aerobic exercise which aids in helping the brain deal with stress more efficiently. The release of these hormones is why individuals with depression find exercise routines extremely beneficial, a majority of antidepressants actually work by increasing brain concentrations of norepinephrine. In addition when exercising helps the body practice dealing with stress, by forcing the body’s psychological systems that are involved in stress response to communicate

Anxiety, depression and exercise research show that physical exercise can lead to a improved mood. Although links between depression, anxiety and exercise are not understood, you can see the difference with and without exercise. Exercise can lead to confidence, social interaction and help you cope with things in a different way. Research also shows that only walking and not a workout schedule can achieve these improvements.

Exercise can and will change personal outlook, personal perceptions and this in turn affects other areas of life. Stress causes people to get agitated easily and to always be tense. Dance aerobics has been shown to help relieve stress and allow anyone to feel more relaxed. “Following a regular aerobics program gives you a sense of commitment and control - two positive mental attitudes that help counteract stress. Aerobics also relax tense muscles, thereby completing (and relieving) your body's stress response. Finally, medical research has shown that regular aerobic activity increases the body's production of endorphins (a natural sedative) and catecholamines (chemical substances that help stabilize moods).” (Aerobics for Health) Many times people are stressed about their weight, and this may cause depression. As Missett has stated in her book, The Jazzercise Workout Book, “Exercise has been proven more effective than antidepressants.” (21) She goes on to point out, “Stress can cause people to eat more than they should, causing more stress because they have realized how much more they have gained.” (19) She goes on to assert that “many stress related problems have occurred to many people due to lack of

There a series of psychological benefits aligned with physical activity, benefits such as stress management, reduced depression and developed self-esteem are all aligned with exercise.

I know that exercise helps develop strong muscles, reduces the risk of chronic diseases, and increases self-esteem. Exercise releases a certain “feel-good” neurotransmitter, a protein that communicates between brain cells and is responsible for mood, known as serotonin. Last year, in Introduction to Psychology, I did my presentation on MDD, major depression disorder. This psychological disorder is strongly linked with a severe deficiency of these neurotransmitters. The beautiful thing about exercise is that everyone has the ability to do it in a variety of forms; it is not dependant on socioeconomic conditions, nor is it dependent on current physique.