Many therapists now prescribe a workout as an adjunct therapy for depression and anxiety. It works better than many medications. Exercise lifts your mood and builds a stronger body without side effects like medication. It won’t replace the help of professional care for severe cases, but it is a good supplemental treatment and can be beneficial for improving your mood when you’re feeling down. Some forms of exercise are better than others. Which ones are the best?
You’ll get some benefits from walking.
You don’t have to create an elaborate program to get benefits. Taking walks helps. Studies show that cardio workouts tend to be the best type of exercise. You can bike, jog, walk, dance, or do any cardio that increases circulation. It builds endurance, helps you lose weight, and increases endorphins that make you feel good. You’ll burn off stress hormones as you exercise and improve your gut microbiome. The microbes in your gut play a role in your mood.
Studies used strength-building as exercise.
One study that followed stroke victims found that strength-building exercises helped build confidence and self-esteem. Another study showed that starting any exercise program boosted the subject’s self-image, even before there were changes to the body. Strength-building exercises improve posture. Improved posture makes you look more confident. Others see you as more confident. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy because you ultimately feel that way.
HIIT—high intensity interval training—dramatically improves your mood.
It’s already stated that aerobic workouts aid with depression. HIIT workouts provide an intensity that can improve the results. HIIT isn’t a certain exercise but a way of doing any exercise. You alternate between your highest intensity and a recovery pace. It pushes the body to sweat and increases endorphins and other feel-good hormones that create a sense of well-being that counteracts depression. HIIT increases BDNF—brain-derived neurotrophic factor—that regulates mood. It helps mood-related disorders, such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. It also benefits anxiety and depression,
- Walking as little as 30 minutes a day can help depression. Do it regularly to reap benefits. You can even do it several times a day. Walking is a natural way to handle anxiety. It’s why people pace when they’re worried.
- Regular exercise creates new neural pathways. It can help get your brain out of the loop of depression. It also changes the gut microbes that can alter brain chemistry.
- HIIT workouts help balance the brain chemicals gamma-aminobutyric acid—GABA—and glutamate. The neurotransmitters work together. GABA calms the brain, while glutamate stimulates it.
- Socializing helps relieve depression. Get a workout partner to exercise with you. Increase your chances of conquering depression with a healthy diet that limits food with added sugar and highly processed foods.
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