Depression is among those health issues that many individuals are battling. According to WHO, there are over 300 million individuals of all ages suffering from this mental disorder.
Depression can make it difficult for you to even get out of bed, and it will seem more challenging to exercise. However, taking the first step to run, walk or go to the gym can be a turnaround for you.
The physical and psychological benefits of exercise might help boost your mood and ease other symptoms of depression. It helps prevent depression from coming back after you feel better. A study reveals that people with depression benefit from exercise programs.
Exercises do not have to be vigorous to help combat symptoms of depression. Typically, any type of physical activity you engage in is likely to improve your mood and boost your energy levels.
Therefore, irrespective of the kind of exercise you choose, you will emerge a better person. Here are some of the exercises that help with depression.
Resistance workout
A simple resistance workout is a weight-bearing exercise that hits all your major muscle groups. You can choose to do this exercise with a barbell, exercise machine, kettlebell, or dumbbell.
Doing around ten reps of each workout will significantly boost your mood. Form a habit of doing ten reps for about four times, allowing some rest between each set. It may include deadlifts, pull-ups, squats, or push-ups.
Burpees
Burpees are amongst bodyweight workouts that do not require the use of any equipment. It is a full-body exercise that targets various muscle groups. Also, it is a great workout for cardio. Besides boosting your mood, the workout’s HIIT (high-intensity interval training) structure will increase your energy. You can start with thirty seconds burpees as you slowly increase the time.
Running
Running is an exercise that helps you determine the levels of your fitness progress. Noticing how you are progressing with fitness helps you with depression.
Running is also a good way to escape from your daily routine, and it helps you to focus, work, and achieve your objective or goal. Although running is amongst the most accessible and easiest forms of workout, not everybody loves to run. There are things to consider when choosing the right exercise to cope with depression.
Walking outside
It is an exercise that eliminates the misconception that a workout has to be “hard” to help combat depression. On the contrary, the opposite is true because, at times, hard workouts may cause the release of some stress hormones like cortisol.
People with depression have high amounts of cortisol and engaging in hard workouts can cause stress. So, passive types of exercise like walking are good for depression.
Walking outside presents you with an opportunity to see different colors, hear various sounds and experience different smells. All these stimulate your senses and make you feel a better person. Moreover, frequent social contact with different people while you take a walk may help improve your self-esteem as well as decrease loneliness.
Group workouts
One of the many symptoms of depression is the feeling of just being alone. You isolate yourself from your family and friends. Therefore, group exercises come to help you avoid this feeling. As you work out, you will have an opportunity to talk to different individuals and brings out the social part of yourself.
Talking to other people may also allow you to open up to them about your problems. You will discover that you are not alone, and this gives you hope to fight depression. You can also eliminate the suicidal thoughts that come with depression as you will discover yourself.
Yoga routine
Yoga is an exercise that helps you unwind. The focus on your breath, stretching and being watchful about your movement during yoga may help you have a clear mind. It also allows you to find happiness. All these benefits fight symptoms of depression for a healthy person.
The poses and meditation may improve your concentration and boost your energy levels. Hospitals and fitness centers use yoga, a self-soothing exercise for mental problems like depression, anxiety, and stress.
Engage in outdoor activities
Your involvement in outside activities helps with depression. Play with kids within your compound, tend to your kitchen garden, and run around with your pet.
Not only will these activities make you more active, but they also clear your mind. Also, they expose you to sunlight which increases the levels of serotonin, the “happy hormones”.
Conclusion
Your depression struggle might come to an end with exercises. However, pick an exercise that you can sustain for a long time because you cannot fix depression with a one-time workout.
Most people are afraid of sharing their depression stories with family or friends. They tend to find more solace in drinking than in opening up to others. It is a dangerous move because this can lead to unpleasant behaviors. Even worse, it can result in alcohol addiction. Are you in this phase? If yes, click here to contact Clean.
Written by Jessica Smith
About the Author
Jessica is an avid reader who enjoys getting lost in the world of books. Holding on to her passion for fitness, she believes that healthy diet is a key to healthy living.
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