Friday, June 1, 2012

I may be huffing and puffing, but I'm helping my depression and anxiety

I was breathing so hard I could barely inhale before I had to exhale. My heart was beating hard, and I was sure it had moved up near my throat. My feet felt like they were slapping the surface of the track. And my hip hurt.
I felt like that Thursday evening after work when I was exercising at the Y. I had started out walking but decided to jog a little.
All I could think as I pushed myself around the indoor track was, I am so out of shape. Then all I could think was, I can’t do this. And then all I could think was, this is supposed to make me feel better?

Conventional wisdom says exercise is good for our health, including our mental health. I decided to do a little research into why it was helpful.
According to an article on the website Science Daily, exercises benefits those with depression and anxiety disorders and should be prescribed by mental health providers.
The article was based on a news release in April 2010 about research that had been done that showed “the efficacy of exercise programs in reducing depression and anxiety.”
It said it could be helpful to those who could not or did not wish to access traditional therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy and medication. It said exercise could also, as one of the researchers put it, act as a “’supplement to the traditional treatments, helping patients become more focused and engaged.’”
The researcher went on to say, “’Exercise appears to affect, like an antidepressant, particular neurotransmitter systems in the brain, and it helps patients with depression re-establish positive behaviors. For patients with anxiety disorders, exercise reduces their fears of fear and related bodily sensations such as a racing heart and rapid breathing.’”
The Mayo Clinic website also discusses the benefits of exercise to those with depression and anxiety. The release of neurotransmitters and endorphins may help depression, it said, and exercise also reduced immune system chemicals that could make depression worse. It said the increase in body temperature that resulted from exercise might be calming.
According to the website, exercise was also beneficial because it helped patients gain confidence, took their mind off their worries, provided them with more social interaction and helped them cope with their illnesses in a healthy manner.

I can vouch for exercise making us feel better. After I walk or bike, I feel energized and positive. I feel good about myself because I took the time to exercise and followed through on a plan to be active. Even hours after I finish exercising, I feel calmer.
And exercising just makes me feel strong.
For me, exercise is an adjunct to my other treatments, including therapy and medication. It can only help my depression and anxiety, plus it has benefits for my heart, joints and other body systems.

I am committed to exercising more and setting some goals. One goal I already have is to run in the Giblet Jog on Thanksgiving Day. The Giblet Jog is a 5K walk/run held every year in my town. It will be my first race.
I have a lot of work to do before then. But I’m making progress. Remember all that whining I was doing about my exercise session? I found that the longer I walked (I stopped jogging), the better I felt. Even my hip seemed to warm up and relax.
And one of my birthday gifts was a pair of biking gloves. I am ready to go!
For some general information about being physically active, follow this link.

What is your favorite form of exercise? How does exercise benefit you?

24 comments:

  1. Well good luck , but I can honestly say, that exercise has had a far greater positive impact than any medication has. The only part that is quite difficult, which I am currently struggling with, is adhering to a regular exercise routine. But, it's made the world of a difference for me. So I only hope, that you can find the same inner peace as I have in exercise.

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    1. I'm glad that exercise has made such a positive difference for you. I think getting back to exercising will be a big help for me too.

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  2. I can tell a big difference in my disposition (and OCD) when I exercise and when I don't. It has a huge effect, so much so, that even when I don't feel like exercising, I do it anyway. It energizes me.
    Cycling is my favorite form of exercise followed closely by a good long hike. In Texas I used to cycle 11 miles (22 round trip) to work and home 5 days a week, weather permitting and I felt terrific. Where I live now, I am limited by weather and cycling indoors at the gym isn't as fun.
    I walk daily (outside if the weather cooperates and we have an indoor track at our gym for winter) and run in spurts. Usually I do a half mile walk to warm up and then walk .25 and run .25 alternately for 2.5 to 5 miles.
    My doctor suggested doing that instead of trying to run a steady 5 miles. I have joint pain occasionally and doing the spurts is really as good for you, or so she told me. I feel like I enjoy doing sprints rather than pushing myself to run 3-5 miles, but if my joints didn't suffer I would love to be a runner.
    Do you have a pedometer? I have a Omron, they are pretty cheap and it is a nice way to keep track of your miles or gauge your sprints. Mine motivates me.
    Oh, I love swimming too.

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    1. Krystal, you and are alike in the kinds of physical activity we enjoy--I love to bike, and we have a really great trail to bike on near our house. Yesterday I was trying to walk one lap, jog one lap, but I finally stopped that because it was hurting. I don't think I warmed up enough before I started to try to run. My left hip has been really bothering me, and I'm trying to do some stretches and yoga to loosen things up.

      I do have a pedometer, stuck in a drawer. Good idea to get it out and starting using it again!

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  3. Wow - a 5K - good for you! I don't think I would even want to walk 5K ha ha.

    Basically, I hate all exercise. But, if I had to pick - I like swimming - though it really can't be called exercise the way I swim! Biking with my hubby is ok. I mostly do it for him because he enjoys it so much.

    I hate to admit it, but I did feel good this weekend about our bike ride. I was glad I accomplished something. Plus, I slept better.

    Good luck with your training!

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    1. Sunny, who knows? You might end up loving to bike! Exercise makes me sleep better, too.

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  4. It's a good thing that you have your vent to release from anxiety. I like to see when someone is having positive progress of anxiety relief.

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    1. Thank you for your comment. Exercise is a good way for me to release some of the energy of anxiety.

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  5. I'm a big swimmer.......I used to swim a mile daily but then developed some shoulder issues. Now a mile every other day works for me. If I can't swim regularly, I get grumpy and feel yucky......that's my "scientific evidence" that exercise is beneficial :) Good for you for sticking with your exercise!

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    1. Janet, That's enough evidence for me to keep doing something good for my health! :-)

      I used to swim a lot when I was in grad school and had easy access to the pool in the student rec center. I loved it.

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  6. Personally, it is a bunch of hooey. It did not make me feel better about myself. It did not help my depression. It is on the road to living a healthy lifestyle but for the most part, I think to much when I exercise without music, that it is counter productive.

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    1. Thanks for sharing your perspective, Jen. Sounds like the music part is very important to you. I can understand the thinking too much part. But for me, the benefits of exercise--just feeling better and more positive--are key.

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  7. I look forward to reading about your first race! So exciting. We have often run Thanksgiving day races - so much fun.

    And you know my favorite form of exercise already ;-)

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    1. Lisa, I have a lot of training to do but I'm already psyched about it. You inspire me with your running!

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  8. Running? Good for you...personally, the only good reason I can see to fun is if I'm being chased by something scary! :-D Fitness walking is my exercise of choice...I do it three days a week, either on the treadmill or outdoors. I love to listen to music while I do it. On two of my "off" days I walk with friends for over an hour, and on all five walking days I start with a ten-minute strength training video - I started doing that for bone health, but my preference is definitely walking.

    I admit I feel all righteous after I exercise. :-) Seriously, it calms my anxiety and helps me to feel better about myself. Does it help my depression? I'm not sure...probably, though sometimes it's hard to tell. Anyway, the only thing I grudge about it is the time it takes up...that's why I do it first thing in the morning; I'd probably never get around to it otherwise.

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    1. Jean, it's always good to be able to run from something scary! I'm so out of shape, I don't know if I could even do that now . . . :-)

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  9. Good post! I ran cross-country in high school and loved it, but after an injury I content myself with walking and the elliptical. The elliptical comes closest to giving me the endorphin rush I got from running. Both are great ways to work out anxiety and frustration, and it always has a positive effect on my mood and mindset.

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    1. I think the aerobic exercise especially helps me to feel better. I always feel so clumsy on an elliptical, but it does give you a good workout.

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  10. Woo hoo! You go, girl! I consider exercise to be an important cornerstone of my anxiety-management tools.

    The other day I had a *disagreement* with a neighbor that I found upsetting -- just the thing to aggravate my GAD. I plugged in an Ellen Barrett DVD and did my exercise, and I was SO calm afterwards! I love mind-body fitness that includes Ellen, hiking, walking, and yoga. I also get a good workout in the garden some days.

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    1. Nadine, exercise is becoming important to me again, too. I'm glad that the yoga helped you with the anxiety. It is so calming for me, too, even to just do some yoga asanas without doing a whole routine.

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  11. Good for you! That is a great goal to participate in a 5K!

    I love walking and water aerobics and am more and more convicted that I need to exercise for my mental health just as much as for my physical health.

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    1. Elizabeth, I'm finding that it's important for my mental health, too. They offer water aerobics at the Y where we belong. I haven't tried it, but I've heard good things about it.

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  12. Well done Tina!!
    I don't exercise. I never did. I even remember at school I was exempted from the sports classes. I'm not sure if it was doctor's orders, but I Know I loved that.
    Two things I dislike A LOT about exercising, is first shortness of breath as when it happens I panic, and faint, second is sweating.

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    1. Nikky, it was interesting to read that exercise can apparently have an effect on our response to those feelings of panic. From my understanding of what I read, it lowers our fear of those feelings of breathing fast and having our heart rate rise.

      I don't like getting sweaty, either, but for me, it's worth it right now. :-)

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