If I may, I’d like to describe what my depression feels like, just to give some idea of what people are talking about: I believe—to the core of my being—that I am a useless and worthless human being. I do not contribute anything positive to the world, and just my existence makes the world a worse place. The lives of everyone I know have been irrevocably damaged because I’m in them, and I don’t understand why they tolerate me. Even my cats would be better off if someone else owned them.
So, when I tell someone I have depression, and they tell me I need to exercise, it’s obvious that they have no idea what I’m talking about. There have been times in my life when I’ve exercised a lot, and i still felt like my existence is a curse on everyone I know.
Therapy and medication, on the other hand, have made a huge difference. Whatever is wrong with me has something to do with my brain chemistry, and the medication changes that. In therapy, I’ve learned how to challenge and overcome the beliefs about my worth. I still have those beliefs, but I now recognize that they’re irrational and that I don’t have to let them dominate my life.
Depression really is an illness, because no healthy person could feel about themselves what I feel about myself. Can exercise help some? Yes, because being physically healthy is better than being unhealthy. But it’s not a miracle cure that’s going to get rid of my depression.
3
duh
Very old news; it's a wonder why so many don't act on it.
I've believed for a long time that if you don't get yourself outdoors along with routine exercise that you'll get sick and then you're gonna die.
I depend on it, weight lifting 3.5 times per week, to keep me balanced. I sleep better and certainly it helps me stay focused.
Old news but good advice. Of Course exercise can stave off depression but can cure it too. Sleep, healthy diet and good friends all combined is what we all need. Exercise is underrated and health benefits cannot be overstated. Seems like an old article but glad the Times prints and reminds people. It's hard for some to start a routine but the sooner you do the sooner you start to see results and feel better. Depression and mental mood and clarity are benefitted in addition to physiologically. Get up an get moving America.
6
First thing is first.
This article does not mention food selection.
Which is to me by far more important before exercise.
For instance, too much sugar consumption on daily basis messes up our digestive system. Diet sodas adversely affect our abdominal health. Deep fried food, all the starchy high density carbohydrates in the absence of vegetables and nuts are common American diet.
You cannot discuss good health without food selection.
Our health good or bad all starts from our gut. You send in wrong food; no matter how much exercise will cure the ill effect.
Hikers unwrap sugarly bars on the mountain; and they say; "Hiking will wear the calories out." To them I want to say better select your food. You are what you eat.
Eat well. Then exercise when it is most applicable to your life. What ever exercise, do little every day; and increase a little at a time. One hour a day at your own speed. Eventually, you will reach your own goal. Eating well and exercise well make us feel better. Get off your sugar kick.
4
"Snippets," or genes for depression? But there are various depressions: Major Depressive Disorder, Single Episode, Mild; Major Depressive Disorder, Single Episode, Moderate; Major Depressive Disorder, Single Episode, Severe; Major Depressive Disorder, Single Episode, Severe with Psychotic Features; Major Depressive Episode, Recurrent, Mild; Major Depressive Disorder, Recurrent, Moderate; Major Depressive Disorder, Recurrent, Severe; Major Depressive Disorder, Recurrent, Severe with Psychotic Features; Dysthymia; the "criteria set for further study" Depressive Personality Disorder. A different gene for each of them? just as there's supposedly a gene for alcoholism, and presumably for all the other dependencies: heroin, marijuana, hallucinogen, cocaine, workaholism, pornography, masturbation, video gaming, ecstasy and lean, codependency, etc., etc.? See what is happening in the child's life, as it's there where depression's seeds are planted, for the most part. Deal with that, and you won't have to run (or jumping jack) away from it.
I exercise strenuously for 5-6 days a week and still feel terrible.
11
About time. It's Always Diet and Exercise,
As they are not exclusive, both should always be addressed in th same column.
3
Most commenters are completely missing the point of this article and scientific study, the findings of which I actually find a bit shocking and disturbing. The point is not that a link between depression and exercise exists but that the link is based in genetics, and a novel methodology proved it. In a sense you are predestined (if you're fortunate) to be born with the genetic combo of physically-active-plus-less-depressed. You either have the predisposition or not. It's, well, depressing to think that you can't will yourself the non-drug cure to your depression. If you are born with a genetic predisposition for depression but lack the physically active gene, you are out of luck.
6
Further, this sentence implies that if you are genetically predisposed to depression, it won't make much difference if you exercise or not:
"This time they looked for gene variants related to depression and whether people who carried those variants and a propensity for depression tended to be physically inactive. It turned out, they did not."
Having said that, the article also acknowledges that there's more to depression and physical fitness than genetics.
2
I can't count the number of such articles I've read, about depression and various suggested 'fixes'. But something like a basic oversight always seems to accompany such studies -- hidden in plain sight, like a well-camouflaged chameleon: Some activity or belief system or exercise program will alleviate depression. So just do it. But what if the depressed person isn't sufficiently un-depressed, to take advantage of what may be sound science. but which doesn't seem to take into account how deadeningly immobilizing depression can be? If my house is on fire, a bystander might tell me to put it out, and of course I want to. But it's not always that easy.
12
Exercise lifts me out of the doldrums and often provides a "runner's high." But antidepressants saved my life.
10
Exercise makes endorphins.
Endorphins make you feel good.
But people in the business of keeping the mildly depressed on a lifetime program of antidepressants would rather that didn't get out.
No profit in people knowing they can get for free the same fix by taking a brisk walk or a bike ride what you are pushing in a bottle.
1
I just want to put this here for anyone who exercises regularly--running, swimming, basketball, chasing kids, gardening, hiking whatever--and who is maybe also in therapy and maybe also takes an antidepressant and STILL feels like their mind is a black cloud of nothingness everyday. There are more people like us than there are people who experience remission from chronic depression. Do what you can. Don't beat yourself up if you don't "feel better." Trying counts and you deserve to rest in the knowledge that you haven't failed because exercise didn't work for you. My first major depressive episode happened while I was a champion swimmer, training 5k-9k meters per day at 16 years old. It's not you, it's your brain chemistry.
I can not go so far as to agree with this study's EXTREMELY optimistic interpretation of their statistical findings that it can PREVENT Depression. Yes, that's right. Math is Math and their findings can be Mathematically true but the interpretation of that truth into real life contexts is an inference the authors make, not the math.
Yes, regular exercise can improve depression symptoms and can even help with remission FOR SOME. You can see all the people commenting here that have felt exercise helped them.
(Also for the people who feel sad, very sad. Yes, sadness hurts. Grief is certainly worse. It isn't depression. If I could share with you what depression feels like you would beg for the relief feeling sad might bring.)
18
This has been known for ages. Why did anyone bother doing "a new study"?
4
My experience is the mental benefits of regular exercise is equal to, if not greater than, the physical benefits. If you want to be "addicted" to something make it regular, vigorous exercise on the daily with a day off every so often; your body will tell you when. Mix strength, cardio, and stretching for 60 minutes total--or longer. It's why I like going to the gym--it's a destination meant for one purpose--staying mentally and physically healthy. Gyms don't work for everyone-find what works for you. I'm 66 and feel good every day. I've recently integrate qi gong into the mix. Give it a try. There's a 15 minute youtube flow I recommend. Yo-qi.
7
My father, alert and aware at 96, went into hospice in early July. I live in NJ, but he lives in Massachusetts and I was living in his house, making the daily trip to the hospital, dividing the day with my siblings. It was the hardest thing I have ever done.
One evening, a murky, hazy, wet evening, I had had enough. So, I walked. Up and down his street. I made the full round trip twice. It is a long street.
When I returned home, nothing had changed, but the world felt a little less oppressive, the situation a little less dire.
I saw the value in this simple exercise. I kept walking each evening on the street for about a week until my beautiful dad peacefully passed. I am still walking although I am now doing it in NH. It still works.
12
@Victoria
Not to diminish your pain but if seeing your otherwise healthy 96 year old father die quickly in hospice is the hardest thing you have experienced you should consider yourself quite fortunate. I am in a support group for caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease. Some of these folks, including myself, age 64, have been watching our loved ones fade away for years. In my case it's now been nine years. My husband cannot speak and does not know my name. I could run for years but the pain I feel would not diminish one bit.
2
@Southlandish Yes, in her life, it was / is a difficult and terrible event to experience. And it may be the most difficult things she and her sibs have experienced. I just recently went through a similar experience caring for my 87 year old mom who died two weeks after her diagnosis. My sis and I cared for her with in-home hospice. And yes, giving my mother her meds (morphine and ativan) around the clock was and I hope will be the worst experience of my life and my sis's life. Her death was peaceful. So please stop making other's pain less than because you feel yours in a greater burden to bear.
3
@Southlandish Victoria's pain is as real to her as yours is to you. You are both suffering losses; you are both in pain. A broken leg hurts whether it is a clean break or a compound fracture. There is nothing to be gained by comparing whose pain is worse.
5
Getting persons in the midst of a major depressive episode to become more active is a difficult but necessary sell. As a psychologist I often point out that exercise is the most effective antidepressant there is, and that following a walk (or a run, or a workout) no one has ever said "I'm sorry I did that."
10
Perhaps this is possible for some, but during my major depressive episodes, it took every ounce of strength I had just to get out of bed to take a shower. The idea of exercising in that condition is, honestly, ridiculous.
I can say that exercise has definitely curved my depression. It's just pure science. Our bodies are meant to move around. Even the days I don't want to exercise, I push myself to go because I know I'll feel good after. I agree with the article.
14
I've been applying this strategy since 1993! It works for me!
6
Per World Health Organization, "depression is the leading cause of disability as measured by Years Lived with Disability (YLDs) and the fourth leading contributor to the global burden of disease." Wow! and the solution is stand up and start walking! Instantly reducing healthcare cost in just about everywhere.
Could nature be more generous and compassionate!
I wonder a decade or tow from now people might wake up to the realization of how much waste is caused by us ignoring what is is not just free, it's Enjoyable!
As one in my 76th year, I stand, pace, and walk as much as I can -- at home, in the subways and in the libraries, when your imagination is alive, you figure out almost intuitively How to move. And for this I defer to Plato: part cannot be well unlesss the whole is well. He means, embrace what is basic to being human (movement, curiosity, agency, bonding) and you'll find it EASIER to stay healthy, physically and mentally.
7
Strongly agreed! This generation that stays inside has a lot of things going on in their life that they hate and these things multiply over and over. Going outside, jogging, and just having your body move around helps a lot in relaxing. Sadness can be addictive and walking can dilute the effectiveness of sadness.
2
I exercised pretty intensely all my life until a few years ago, then got a disease that made me exercise-intolerant. One night I woke up with both legs cramped like blocks of wood, Achilles tendons and plantar fascia tearing. This occurred 7 months after I started a statin drug, and it ended my mountain treks, strength training, etc. and began the progressive downhill journey typical of some statin-triggered diseases.
More than 1/4 of Americans over 40 take a statin. Since we have no system for reporting adverse effects (other than self-reporting), we don't know what percentage have resulting problems severe enough to make them stop exercise. (We do know, however, that statins cut the benefit of exercise.)
Severe diseases subsequent to statin use is common enough that I personally know five others locally who have either died (rhabdomyolysis) or who struggle to walk even around the house. Two of them are MDs.
Some statin-triggered diseases, involving super-high CK levels have been diagnosed, but this isn't the type of disease we have. Our symptoms are those of mitochondrial diseases, and we have tendon tears, autonomic neuropathy, and other issues.
With so many millions on statins, and with a number clearly in the thousands with statin-triggered diseases, might the UK Biobank and the new statistical methodology described in the article be used to examine the relationship between skeletal muscle, statin use, and exercise?
5
You know what treats depression? Therapy and medication! Being in a sad mood and having clinical depression are not the same thing! No amount of running endorphins are gonna get rid of a mental disorder.
3
While I normally scoff at articles promising all kinds of miracle claims form exercise, I can attest that vigorous exercise (running, cycling, etc.) does make you feel better. I've suffered from a few bouts of depression and this always works for me.
There's a physical and mental feeling of accomplishment that is satisfying and relaxing. The key for me is to do something strenuous for at least 30 minutes.
6
This is the number one reason I`m a regular exerciser. Keeps the internal wolf at bay.
14
So tired of the term "exercise" being tossed around to include any activity. Gardening is not exercise! A stroll is not normally exercise. UNLESS - you're living so sedentary a life, even getting up to answer the door is an extraordinary amount of movement!
Gardening most certainly will help people get out and "smell the roses", and be engaged in activity they might need, physically and emotionally - but in the general sense in the way its practiced by most people, its not exercise! It may tax them, it might make them feel sore the next few days. Its still not exercise! That soreness indicates they NEED actual exercise.
Gardening might also keep someone flexible, their joints "liquid" and dosed with Vit D - but even if its done, especially if its done everyday, its still not exercise! No more then the guys on a landscaping crew attending 2 dozen properties a day are exercising! They could absolutely be unhealthy, and wholly depressed!
Exercise should be defined as EXTRA-ordinary effort or activity geared towards gaining strength, full range of movement and cardiovascular endurance. Effort made to gain/retain muscle mass, tax the cardiovascular system, and be fully capable of moving and controlling ones own body and its weight. That's exercise!
Extra-ordinary activity is exercise. Normal, ordinary activity is not. If you walk 3 miles a day at work, unless you just started the job, its become normal, ordinary activity. If you go home and RUN 5+ miles, that's exercise!
7
@Boregard
There does seem to be a confusion of terms between what is exercise and what is just an activity. The CDC explains it this way:
"Exercise is a form of physical activity that is planned, structured, repetitive, and performed with the goal of improving health or fitness. Although all exercise is physical activity, not all physical activity is exercise."
This article does a good job of pointing out the difference inasmuch as it states that to help combat depression it takes a minimum of 15 mins of exercise, like running, vs. an hour of activity, like gardening.
7
@Boregard
Gardening most certainly is exercise and the intensity level obviously varies with the type of work done and for how long. Given your intense disagreement with the idea it is obviously not a type you enjoy or respect.
I went through for years of life threatening doession after Toxoplasmosis.
I barely survived. I am doing well now with a combination of exerercise, the right meds, work, and community.
I am a year round open water swimmer and do weight training.
Exercise is key for all types of well being.
And exercise should be a front line recommendation for anyone dealing with depression. I have a life again!
M
8
Finding a cure for, or a way to manage, depression is a complex issue, different for everyone. Endorphines after rigorous workouts have always lifted my spirits and winning prizes and recognition in my sport gave me joyful moments. However, exercising rigorously and regularly 6 or 7 days a week did not cure my depression, it only managed it. Meditation, combined with exercise, proved to be the solution for me.
11
Great article - thank you.
So much has been written about the benefits of exercise, both directly and indirectly. Our bodies were made to move, to sweat, to work.
All good things flow from that regimen.
13
@Len - yes indeed. Whether it was a 10 mile run or now, at 75, a brisk 45 min walk (17 min mile), I always feel better mentally when I finish. Every time. Exercise helps for a more manageable life but my depression is always there. Without the exercise, my life would be one slow slog. But I don't know how anyone can argue against cause/effect. Do 'happy people' exercise more? I would think so. It is an enjoyable activity with many upsides. But the tricky part is, are the happy runners just simply staying ahead of potential depression? I wonder, in this study, was the man-child in the WH taken into the conclusion? Actually wrote a poem about it recently:
On Saving My Life
I used to be a runner, narrow back roads,
northern Connecticut,weather worn and tanned
I run, fifty miles a week, five out to a horse farm
and home, doing my best, life unraveling
anxiety attacks money gone I run, smell the farm,
horses in at dusk I circle home, a short steep hill
the last, SUV didn’t see me coming fast.
On my back in a winter brook,
looking up through the pines, bone cold
body intact, get up over the crest
two miles home, shoes close by the fire
overnight, I sleep warm, dream deep,
and in the morning look out lace up,
to the farm again, one mile in nine to go
saving my life. I used to be a runner.
8
@Wallace
Thank you.
1
@Wallace
Thank you for these lines.
1
Among its various benefits, jogging (or walking) allows for the intake of oxygen, fresh air, which is a huge benefit too.
5
Excercise helps, but for me talking to people is the solution. If I talk, preferably face to face, with a friend for an hour or so a day ( I am a retired widow) or a few minutes with a complete stranger usually in the supermarket I feel a different person.
27
@Jeffrey Frankel
Thank you for this comment. It reminds me why some of most engaging conversations are with people I don't know but am glad I ran into them on the bus, in the subway or at the grocery store.
7
@Suzy
I've read a number of times that random acts of kindness, including positive chats with strangers, boost serotonin/dopamine levels
6
@Jeffrey Frankel
I am the same. Random contacts with people can be little spots of happiness if you allow yourself to be open.
5
I just want to make the point that the research does not completely rule out the bi-directionality issue. That is, "depression" may still "cause" inactivity (reduce exercising).
18
Gardening is because of the microbes in the soil, not because of the exercise one does.
3
@Stevo
Gardening is great, very therapeutic and satisfying.
Except when it gives one sepsis.
Had a neighbor who spent all kinds of time gardening, gardening, gardening. Spectacular yard, floral display three seasons, parishioners from their church would use it as a wedding photo background.
He was rail thin, vigorous, never ill in the years we knew him, go-go active social life with wife and friends, nothing seemed to slow him.
Then one day, he felt a little 'off,' went to his internist, who immediately detected sepsis, put him in ICU, where despite all high level interventions his organs shut down one after another and really, rather thankfully*, he passed on inside of 2 weeks. (*His family wasn't getting good reports of what 'after/recovery' might look like for this gentleman, or how long that could take. )
Later, physicians looking into what could have possibly felled this strong and healthy man in such short order, literally from one day to next: best hypothesis was it was something in the soil.
So -- at least, wear gloves, etc.!
The great outdoors, even one's backyard is great ... until that weird microbe finds one at a vulnerable moment.
I suffer with major depression and i just happen to be in that small percentage of people that none of the known antidepressants work on .I have been active my whole life 'm 56 now i still cycle between 25 to 100 km a day i have found for me anyways that individual sports running cycling eta are not that good for depression to much time to think and any one with depression can tell you to much time on your hands to think usually goes bad negative thinking drags you into a funk . music some times helps . But as far as the exercising goes your better off doing team related stuff baseball hockey basketball keeps the mind busy .You know as the saying goes idol hands are the devil play shop well so is an idol mind.
9
I am not prone to depression, for which I am grateful. But I know that on days when I can't exercise (due to having a cold or a busy schedule), I definitely feel more lethargic and sometimes a bit blue. I used to run hard every morning, but not now at age 71. I stick to biking, swimming, and pilates all of which affect my state of mind as well as my body.
9
there isn't always ONE cure, but exercise helps with MANY things, including a variety of mental health issues.
duh.
7
I’m sure this will blow a lot of minds, but it turns out that BOTH exercise AND ALSO pharmaceuticals have TOGETHER treated my depression, and neither was sufficient alone! Weird, right????
27
the iron has been my meds all my life.
4
It’s definitely helped me! I’ve had depression for a while but now I’m coming off medication now (under the supervision of a psychiatrist). I do three hard cardio sessions and two big gym workouts a week. Finding a sport that motivates me has really changed my life (and perhaps my brain chemistry).
14
I tend to agree with this study. I run 1 mile a day, as hard as I can. It takes less than 10 minutes from start to finish and is a perfect way to exhaust myself to bliss. I am in complete control of the effort I put forth and when I run a new personal record it provides a satisfaction that I can't find anywhere else. I've been doing this almost 4 years now. It has impacted every part of my life for the better. I stopped drinking, smoking pot, eating junk and remarkably my depression, which used to consume 75% of the year, is practically non-existant. Ben Franklin had it wrong, *Exercise is proof that God wants us to be happy.
31
It's certainly worth a try, and I ran or worked out every day but my illness was severe, and I got worse and worse until it became obvious that I needed to be in the care of a psychiatrist for therapy and medication. I hope no one uses this information to shame or deny help to anyone who needs it. When one is in the depths, it can be almost impossible even to get out of bed. I've had some serious injuries, and depression remains the worst pain I've ever felt.
66
@kathy
Thank you for this. Maybe mild to moderate depression can be cured or helped by exercise, but the severe kind like mine needs meds and talking to someone to get back to normal. People shouldn't feel bad if they can't exercise when severely depressed.
3
I have anxiety and some depression symptoms. I dread the thought of exercise even when I'm feeling okay; running feels like a chore. But - there is one sport that I could play for as long as my body will let me and as weird as it sounds I feel weightless when I play it. I was never very athletic, and never really enjoyed sports or understood this phenomenon of "endorphins" and feeling energized after exercise until I found "my" sport. Go find yours! Whether it be something traditional or something like dance, acro-yoga, speedwalking... something that focuses your mind into that zen-like state.
19
@K So what is "your" sport?
5
@K May I ask what your sport is? Still hunting for mine.
4
@K yes please share! Happy for you that you found something that works so well for you. My own feelings about exercise are very similar to yours.
1
Weight lifting also helps. After my parents died, five days apart, it helped a ton.
11
@ClydeMallory After my mother passed away that's when my depression took hold. And that was back in 2011. Exercise has definitely helped. Actually it's masking it but ultimately it still helps.
6
Absolutely
I suffered a bout with depression and I virtually would crawl to the gym daily . Exercising was the best medicine to help me climb out of that hole . I continue to do at lest an hour pretty much daily.
16
I tried to jog away a major depression - clocking over 2000 miles in two years. While I became very physically fit, my depression actually grew worse, I think in part because all I could do was ruminate obsessively about my failings during all those hours of running alone. Eventually I saw a doctor and went on medication. It helped. I run less now.
37
@Johnny Yes, my running became obsessive, sometimes even twice a day, and once, three times. It works, but what can you do, run all day? I found music while running was better, since running alone was not enough distraction.
After finishing, I was so calm.
Some funny things happened. I went to the emergency room to have a splinter removed and my heartbeat was so low they thought I was in heart failure. A cardiologist was summoned and he explained to the nurse I must be a runner, which of course, I was.
1
Hi Gretchen. I was not convinced that you understood the methodology of this study. First, you mis-state existing evidence about causality. In the same issue of JAMA Psychiatry there is a summary of existing causal studies:"In large prospective cohort studies,2 individuals who exercise are less likely to develop depression. In randomized clinical trials,3 people who were assigned to exercise groups had greater depressive symptom reduction than those who were not."
Your description of the study mentions that the genetic snippets are "instruments." The reference is to the method of instrumental variables developed in econometrics and applied here using a genetic instrument. Try looking up instrumental variable analysis in Wikipedia or elsewhere. A good explanation of Mendelian randomization in instrumental
variable analysis is in Dixon P, Davey Smith G, von Hinke S, Davies NM, Hollingworth W. Estimating Marginal Healthcare Costs Using Genetic Variants as Instrumental Variables: Mendelian Randomization in Economic Evaluation. Pharmacoeconomics. 2016;34(11):1075-1086. It isn't simple so maybe you understand and just didn't think it possible to explain in the course of the article.
14
Meanwhile, in his latest physical it was proven that Trump's body mass index is 30.4, which officially is above the obesity threshold.
As usual, Trump and White House pushes fake news: claiming he had “ excellent “ health.
Obese people are at increased risk of health problems, including diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
13
Endorphins baby!
12
Actually, endocannabinoids baby!
https://www.pnas.org/content/112/42/13105
2
It strikes me as a no brainer. Exercise makes me feel better. I think there are several reasons for this. One, exercise, especially aerobic exercise, stimulates chemicals in the brain and body that feel good. Two, and I think this has the most power, After I exercise, I know that I have accomplished a goal and that feels great! Three, I feel good also because I have spent 4 hours (that is the time it took me to climb Atalaya Mountain above St. Johns College in Santa Fe, New Mexico today) where I was not sitting in front of a TV, (which I do not have), not sitting in front of my computer (which I am doing right now) and most significantly, it was 4 hours where I was not eating anything. That also feels great to think about that accomplishment! In my view, a person with deep depression does not need "strong chemical intervention" just more healthy exercise and healthy activities. But hey, its a free country and there are lots of chemicals to choose from if you want it! And they will take away depression. I would rather depend on exercise than a chemical.
12
For many it is not an "either/or" situation. At one time in my life my depression was so severe that physical activity only gave me temporary relief, while anti-depressants gave me relief around the clock.
24
It’s not right (and sometimes even dangerous) to judge people - even passive-aggressively - who take medication for mental illness. Who’s to know if they haven’t tried, and continue to try, to use exercise as medicine and it’s not enough? Or if their particular depression keeps them from exercising no matter the attempt? Mental health is complex, and perky “just exercise!!!” types who shame others for “choosing” to take medicine and brag about how they don’t need meds (with a clearly implied “I’m stronger/better” than you)? Not helpful. Actually could be very harmful.
32
@nochesdad -- You are lucky that you have that choice. Not everyone does.
7
More than "may help" - for me it is certain. Whether it's being outside, the endorphins, or what, there's no substitute.
9
Perhaps they should have used the qualifiers "mild to moderate" with the word "depression." I have known someone with very serious clinical depression and only strong chemical intervention gave him relief.
43
Kudos to the author, Gretchen Reynolds.
She tackled a complex methodology, explaining it to a general reader. She did so clearly (and I presume correctly--though I am not an expert in Mendelian randomization). This is deceptively difficult to do.
Well done, Ms. Reynolds, and thanks!
8
This has been known for a very long time. The question is why doesn't everyone know it and practice it? Preventing a depressive episode from ever happening in the first place is a lot easier than dealing with it after onset. It should be taught in schools, along with gym class, and recess, and oh, right, no one wants to prevent depression.
17
I walk about 2 miles a day and exercise, usually intensely, both cardio and weightlifting, 3-6 times per week. I am still very depressed. It takes a lot to undo a lifetime of social conditioning
30
Absolutely agree, the body is its own pharmacy.
6
As a victim of PTSD and depression from an early age due to life circumstances, I can confidently recommend a daily regimen of exercise and activity to to maintain balance and health in ones life. While not formally educated in this discipline, I discovered this response through trial and error in an effort to counter negative influences in my life. As a young teen, when filled with rage and fear and sadness I found a good, hard run, anywhere, would dissipate the urge to destruction and violence. I'm happy to see these ideas reaching formal recognition.
35
One thing exercise does for someone with PTSD from sexual assault is rebuild the sense of bodily autonomy. It's my body and I control it.
33
@Dan Kelly
Hi, your post struck me in this lengthy thread because my son has PTSD,severe anxiety, and OCD, all since he was 20 from an unfortunate life event, with then two other events spaced out between several years. He just never seemed to recover from one before another would happen. He always has been overly sensitive as to what other people think/assume of him to the point that two times now over the past 3 years, he will not drive his beautiful Ford F150 - he thinks it is a murder truck, and he will get in trouble if he drives it, and people are taking pictures of him. Right now he is not wanting to do anything, but stay in his room, on his bed and let those intrusive voices/thoughts take his life over. He has shut out all of his support group -- tried to shut me out (once a Mom always a Mom?), but I won't give up, partly because we live in the same house and I see the decline.
That said, I have to do something. So, since right now I am his only person he 'at best' communicates with, I am searching out articles and websites for me to help him, as he is refusing outside professional help.
He was walking three times a week with his case worker (that he now refuses to see) for many months. So, I think I will be encouraging him to take a walk with me. Hopefully that is a start.
Thanks for reading and 'listening'!
6
@CJ - So sorry to hear about your son’s struggles, it sounds like he - and you - are suffering terribly. Parents and caregivers of people living with these symptoms need help too. It would be a really good idea to have a study of the effects of exercise on caregivers - who are at risk of stress and depression themselves. There’s an advocacy organization that promotes wellness for people with mental illness and their families - there’s one near you - in Boise . It’s called NAMI - National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. They have a weekly support group for parents
Designed for adult loved ones (18+) of individuals living with mental illness.
No specific medical therapy or medication is endorsed or recommended.
All participants and discussions are confidential.
No calls, emails or reservations needed! Just show up. We'd love to have you visit.
Boise
Meets: First four Wednesdays of the month
Time: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Place: El-Ada Program Building, 2250 S. Vista Ave., Boise (SE corner of Vista and Targee)
Hoping for healing, support and relief for you and your son -
7
I can attest to this: after a second pregnancy loss in 3 years' time, I began walking for 30 minutes a day, just to help cope with the sadness. I eventually worked up to 5 miles a day, and have continued that routine, 6 or 7 days a week, for more than 20 years, regardless of weather. To say that it got me through one of the darkest periods of my life is an understatement.
38
A lot of over stressed people don't need exercise and need bed rest. Lots of eating disorders get put in hospital wards for about three months on bed rest. You need to unstructured yourself in a life that is obsessed with perfection and structure in your life. Some of us are just average and will never reach perfection as we're not all born equal and we should all feel comfortable with ourselves and know our limits and not be too proud to butt out of society and it's competitive streak if it is affecting your health. Ask yourself what do you want in life; not what other people want from you. You're not a failure if you're happy.
13
No one among us will ever reach perfection! We must all remember this, or we may get Really depressed.
1
The thing that exercise does to improve one’s state of mind is that it gives the person who exercises an actual accomplishment. You ran a mile, you lifted the weights, you rode thirty minutes on the stationary bike. A sense of “can do” is a great antidote to depression.
19
You can’t take more upon yourself than you’re psychically able to bear.
9
Everyone has different ways of dealing with getting rid of depression. If you're overstressed from too much exercise and work a great solution is to refresh your body in this over structured day and age and just be a slob for a day. Stay in bed all day and unstructured your whole day, eat junk, etc and the next day you'll wake up refreshed and not depressed. Similar to how people pay a fortune to go to a wellness centre or health retreat and relax. One persons recipe like exercise won't work for over stressed people who just need to relax and be unstructured for a day. (Make sure you discipline yourself and only do that one day a week.)
7
This is no surprise, but maybe the question we should be asking is not "can jogging 15 minutes per day reduce depression, " but perhaps "is the extreme lack of physical exercise and movement in the lives of Americans causing an epidemic in depression?" I think we need more than a prescription to jog, but a rethinking of our frighteningly sedentary culture.
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@Carol B
Carol I quite agree with you. By effectively defining no exercise as the baseline, this admirable study - and it is an important addition to scientific arguments for regular exercise - appears to miss the fact that our culture has established unnatural and unhealthy sedentary living as an apparent "norm." Two hours of walking a day should be seen as normal - as it was for the 250,000 years of human existence.
5
I bet a big part of it is being outside/getting sunlight.
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Did they specify that the people studied were only getting exercise outdoors?
Personally, I get my cardio at the gym and it makes a big difference in my state of mind.
Is this news? Part of this is definitely that this title is terribly uninformed as to what appears to be the actual meat of the article, which is that scientists used more modern randomization and sampling techniques to more confidently declare negative correlation between exercise and depression. But also they use the phrasing "prevents depressions," and "protects against depression" which isn't how it works, as far as my understanding of our current model of depression goes. Exercise can work like an anti-inflammatory spray, soothing the pain/numbness/depression, but I am unconvinced (at least by this article) that it proactively prevents anything. And again, this doesn't feel new. As a formerly far-less-than-fit individual, I've been told my whole life that "exercise makes you feel better," if only under the guise of 'we don't know how endorphins work but we definitely know the word exists.' I expect more from the NYTimes, at least in terms of how you're presenting news in an alarmingly 'clickbait'-focused age of information.
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@August - if you’re at all interested in the question of whether there’s evidence that exercise prevents depression- why not take a look at the actual publication in JAMA to which the article refers? There are several other studies - randomized controlled trials and prospective stidies which are reported on as well. The era of “click-bait” also promotes the risk of people making negative dismissive comments before thoughtfully reviewing the evidence.
1
All sorts of things can cause depression in this complex modern world. I don't get depressed except when I don't get enough sleep and that's caused by tiredness and is a physiological depression and disappears the next time I get a good nights sleep. You really need to get more selfish & learn to say no to demanding people who don't care about your health then you feel like you have some control over your life. For some, a change of scenery is good for depression - just getting away from your stressful environment & the people in it. Get on a bus or train and go somewhere new sightseeing. Money stress can cause depression. Some types of depression is environmental & can be changed with a lifestyle change. Money is everything as it can make you mortgage free. People need to get off their phones and enjoy their beautiful countries with all the natural highs you can get from observing nature etc. Enjoy life, employ life - it flits away and will not stay. Just forget about the world & all its problems & just concentrate on everything positive & ignore the negative. Your own health comes first - be kind to yourself - you are a good person and deserve to be happy. Don't do drugs as for every high you get the lows will be twice as bad. Google negative side effects of whatever drug you take. Try to eat healthy - eat wholemeal breads & grains instead of white. You need to learn to filter out what your head allows in - not unlike virus protection on your computer. (lessons from life)
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@CK
Sadness comes from everyday upsets, and frustration and crankiness from losing one night's sleep. They are like depression in the way a mud puddle is like the ocean.
My depression started around my 13th birthday. Exercise really did not help. At one point in my life, I was exercising 4 hours a day, 6 days a week (some body dysmorphia issues). I'd have to leave my step class to clean up my tears, and then I would go back. I also had anxiety attacks.
What did help was years of talk therapy and I think just getting older.
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This is upsettingly bad science. First: a gene variant can (and is likely to!) have more than one effect. Second: psychological disorders are closer to a collection of symptoms than to a single-cause disease. This means that if you look for depression variants, you are likely to identify dozens and the most common may not be representative of all types of depression. Which means that this study still doesn’t indicate directional causality. Perhaps the first variant actually protects against depression (doesn’t make people more active) and so the people are more likely to be active because they’re not depressed.
Most importantly nothing from this article indicates that a person with genetic depression variants can fix it by becoming active. In fact, they claim that in general people with depression variants were equally likely to be active/ inactive.
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@Hannah
I really doubt it is bad science. You're reading a summary in the newspaper, not the scientific study. You might want to read the study, not just popularizing media coverage of the study, before critiquing it. I suspect the paper actually addresses the limitations you mention, and the authors are probably not making the claims you attribute to them.
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@Hannah -you use the term “genetic depression” - but while there are genetic risk factors, there is no clear underlying genetic basis for depression yet identified. There are indeed many different phenotypes for depression -and no, none of then is representative of “all types of depression”
You’re suggesting that because depression is heterogeneous, we can’t study it. But heart attacks also have varying presentations - there’s no one heart attack that’s representative of all types of heart attacks- but nonetheless, we’ve managed to learn quite a bit about them - and how to prevent them.
1
As a licensed psychologist, I'm enthusiastic to see this study and its findings, which further support a growing body of literature showing vigorous exercise as an effective depression intervention (including a previous experiment of exercise bicycling on depression).
As a PhD trained in psychology research, however, I cringed at the use of the wording "data science hack". I understand that Dr. Chan probably used the word to mean a clever statistical shortcut, but hacking refers to unethical access to data, and psychology and medical researchers are still recovering from a history of unethical studies from the mid-to-late 20th Century (e.g., Watson, Milgrim, Tuskegee, Wakefield). When your research is sound and creative like the current study, there's no need to be cute when marketing it.
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@Matthew He was likely using the colloquial meaning that "hack" has recently acquired, as in "life hack." For example a life hack would be if you didn't have a bottle opener and you used your key to open your beer. It just means using a resourceful alternative to the accepted approach.
8
Yes. Like using a folding picnic chair to crack a lobster because the caterers forgot to include the proper implements for the picnic. There should be a Nobel Prize for saving a whole lobster picnic for the Harvard Class of 62.
But fear is a fast-tracked emotion in the brain and now "hacker" means someone who steals credit card info online and gifts himself with a $400 shopping spree at Bass World Pro at his victim's expense.
Wow! An innovative new study shows that exercise may help depression! Who would have thought that over 50 years ago when I would go for a long walk when I felt childhood depression actually worked! Or that it still works or me today at age 69? This is like discovering that cows give milk after years and millions of dollars of research.
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@Jeff
My college psychology professor called intuitive findings "Grandma Research" or "Bubba Research" because Grandma or Bubba down the street could tell you the same.
However, do not discount the importance of scientific testing and confirmation. Most people do not realize counterintuitive research findings, placebo effects, or spontaneous recovery findings often enough. For example, millions of Americans take a daily multi-vitamin but fail to recognize the fact that science has found it makes no difference in health outcomes. Or another example, too little sleep is bad for your physical health but tends to reduce depression, whereas sleeping too much is associated with more depression.
The current study is invaluable and worth the money.
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the findings are important, and as well may represent a methodological breakthrough.
Since blinded , controlled clinical trials , said to be the gold standard, are near to impossible for many nondrug interventions,
and since attempts to design better observational studies ( MOOSE designs ) have not solved the dilemma, this approach
looks very promising in some cases. The logical defense will have to be elaborated, and the statistical basis confirmed. But it may be ground breaking where a behavioural intervention with a genetic marker exists or can be found.
5
It is refreshing that medicine has finally caught up with what many have known and written about for decades. “The Exercise Prescription For Anxiety and Depression” was written over 30 years ago by a psychologist.
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To a certain extent this theory supports older generations simply telling their kids who said they were “ tired and lazy” ( possibly depressed) to “get out of bed and do something!”
1
I thought this was common sense.
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Oh for goodness sake, what a convoluted and useless study. What's pretty obvious is that people who are depressed are going to have a more difficult time than others to get to actually exercise because, guess what, they are depressed!
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@Liz- CA I think you missed the point the study was making, please re-read: "So, the researchers concluded, physical activity in this analysis lowered the risk for depression, but depression did not affect whether people exercised.."
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@Mac "Depression did not affect whether people exercised" FALSE. " "physical activity in this analysis lowered the risk for depression," most likely true. Did they need this study to prove that? I think this information has been around for years.
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@Liz- CA you are presenting a version of people who are depressed that is at best oversimplified.
In most cases, major depressive disorder is a chronic relapsing/remitting disease that people manage over many years. If there’s clear evidence that exercise can prevent against depression, this could indeed have an impact on a person’s likelihood of recurrent episodes over the life cycle.
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I am 77 and swim three times per week, early in the morning. This exercise provides the following:
1. Quiet time to think! Goggles, ear plugs, a nose clip and being submerged for more than an hour provides peace and quiet to consider and solve problems OR think of your old girl friend.
2. The endorphin chemistry, keeps me calm and more tolerant of the world we live in. This is not the America I grew up in.
3. Swimming provides excellent air exchange for the lungs. Blood moves at high speed, and the heart gets a good work out.
4. Long hot shower, close shave and life is good again! You are calm, tolerant, have made headway on good life decisions, and your medical tests will be just fine.
WHEN DOES SHELDON SILVER GO TO JAIL!
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I am now 75 and have dealt with depression on and off since I was in my teens and was hospitalized once when I was in my mid-30s. I still take an minimal dose of an antidepressant daily. Walking has been the key to making depression - as well as anxiety - a non-issue. I currently walk 3-5 miles daily except when it's raining or snowing - cold alone I can manage. Walking is great for many reasons, but for fighting depression, it is a lifesaver. Walking trails, quiet neighbors, wooded areas are my preferred walking areas. Walking also has many physical added benefits.
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@Caralen
Never had depression tho I LIKE to walk in winter with overcast skies and snow-covered ground; it helps to walk in a different way, like a super model, as you plow one foot ahead of the other! I'm sure it awakens different sets of muscles by walking on uneven and spongy ground.
I only wish I'd at least one companion Sometimes!
Sitting around aimlessly browsing on my iPhone, I was on the fence about whether to go to yoga class this morning. Then I came across this article, and especially the inspiring reader comments. Yoga it is! Class starts at 11.
Thanks everyone!
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A few decades back when a psychiatrist gave me a choice of six different antidepressants as if they were different flavored candies, frustrated, I said none and left the office. Within weeks I discovered swimming. Hey, what is this? My depression is gone after a handful of slow attempts across the pool. But soon enough came back. So, I returned to the pool. And again it was gone. In time, I was actually able to do fifty laps and that felt like I had been given a hallucinogen, a happy-happy one. Today the depression hasn't disappeared but the hundred laps I do five times a week keeps it at bay and the attempt to master swimming is a nice mental challenge; and I'm fit.
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@Principe 100% YES!!! I often enter the pool grumpy, reluctant, and tired. But I always leave with a profound sense of well-being, contentment, and sometimes exuberant joy.
13
67 year old depressive here. I cycle in and out of it...literally..on my bike. Combined with yoga ( twice a week, 90 minutes per session, and pilates, once a week for one hour) and walking the dog daily...30 minutes at a time. Some times three times a day sometimes less.
Yoga, bike, pilates, dog walking...citalopram and peace.
14
The significance of this article is actually not the relationship between exercise and depression, as important and meaningful that is for people who are in the grip of this awful monster.
Of even more significance is that scientists have discovered a method for potentially testing many relationships between behavior, mood, mental illness, and life satisfaction. To date, most of those studies rely on correlations, which prove little.
This Mendelian randomization, from what I can understand about it, solves that problem. With this technology we may be able to make very rapid progress on a number of fronts that can inform us about how to go about enhancing life satisfactions.
It is very exciting. I am going to study it more.
20
From my own experience, any type of exercise in the end will make you feel good for a short time.
As with anything there is a downside. The brief period in my youth when I took up running (I quickly ended it), the period of wellness was quickly followed by nagging back, knee, foot problems.
There is an up and down with everything in life.
4
@Paul I suffer from anxiety and exercise daily. The endorphins wear off, this is true, but having success managing my symptoms with the help of endorphins has taught me how to manage them and see anxiety for what it really is even after the endorphins fade. It’s not bullet proof but for me it’s preferable over an antidepressant and the unavoidable side effects.
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@Michelle-Thank you for your reply. I basically agree with you. If running helps much more with depression than hurts, by all means do it.
With me, it was just the opposite, that is all I am saying.
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@Paul
See later post, maybe swimming? I am in the grip of back, hip and now knee pain and am considering aquatic, non load bearing exercise. Otherwise walking with dog and among trees.
Heartfelt encouragement in your search to manage pain and depression. You are not alone.
4
Comments in response to this article suggest that some readers overlooked the central focus of the study, which is to determine the extent to which exercise might prevent depression. It does not study the extent to which exercise might cure depression. The suggestion that exercise might cure depression is, in my opinion (based on experience), not only shameful, but dangerous. Many times I have tried exercising while severely depressed, only to find that what little energy I had was fully depleted. Add to that a new layer of shame over the inability to help myself. Exercise as cure is terrible advice. It might work for some, but for others it can be hurtful and life-threatening (in that the shame will increase the likelihood of suicide). Please, depressed people: you may try exercise, but don't fret if it doesn't help.
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@TJW
Thank you!
4
When you are truly in depression’s grip running is good, nobody notices that you’re crying.
15
So sorry for your pain. I hope that running also helps dry your tears.
12
As a psychiatrist, I know that activity and exercise are first line treatments for my patients with depression and anxiety and I recommend it 100% of the time for them. It's hard to get them on board, and I do think many of them are in the genetically inactive category. This article, these studies, look tantalizing in terms of persuading some of them to get moving.
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@Ellen Tabor
I know a counselor who takes things into her own hands. She not only recommends exercise she invites her patients to go with her on her daily hikes.
29
@Ron A-I've heard of those people and I think they're great. It's not for me but I do share my own exercise stories (when appropriate), including that although I'm a complete couch potato, prefer indoors to outdoors and generally have the anti-movement disposition, I made myself run and have completed scores of races, including three NYC Marathons. To look at me, you'd never know it, but it's true, and my patients can realize that I do walk the walk, quite literally. I do reap the mental health benefits from this, although I do not feel the endorphins, have never had a runner's high and never hit the wall and broken through it. The last step is as unpleasant as the first but at least I'm in good cardiovascular shape.
6
It is encouraging to find that research is corroborating what practical experience has shown for many years: that fairly strenuous exercise reduces the likelihood of depression. Nothing noted here about how it stimulates the brain to release endorphins. These are neurotransmitters which enhance mood.
I hope the NYT will do follow up reports on this.
5
I am a type 2 diabetic and very fat. When I feel bad, it'd be helpful to just walk around the block.
What's depressing about drugs to relieve depression is that nearly every prescription medicine, even if its mechanism is unique, has the side effect of transforming type 2 diabetics managing their sugar with Metformin into insulin dependent diabetics. Walking around the block several times a day is wiser and safer.
28
Walking around the block is great! In addition to exercise, you are getting exposure to natural light- and especially in the am this can be helpful for depression. Hopefully you are also getting some exposure to nature, and maybe you are lucky enough to greet a neighbor along the way.
Walking in the neighborhood, in the morning keeps depression at bay for lots of us.
16
@BigGuy Well done. Keep it up!
5
@BigGuy
Similar situation ... thank you for the reminder!
3
Some countries (UK, the Netherlands, and Canada), recommend that clinicians see exercise as the first line of management for depression. Canada, in particular, recommends it as a stand-alone initial treatment for mild to moderate depression and is combined with other forms of treatment in severe cases. As a lifelong sufferer of both mild depression and anxiety, I'm thankful I found running as an outlet to manage my symptoms.
12
There is no better subject for this study than me. I suffer from severe depression, having undergone ECT three times and having suffered severe depression countless times. At the same time, i have run one marathon and countless road races, having won a good number of medals.
Based on this experience, I have found that there is no doubt that my running relieves my depression. But that is a small part of the story. There is nothing harder to do than to exercise when you are depressed. Depression robs you of your energy after all. And the benefit I’ve gotten from exercise is not substantial because, when my depression is severe, doing strenuous exercise is next to impossible. You don’t run many marathons when you are depressed.
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@michjas Walking, at whatever pace you want, always feels good. The key thing is to cover a set distance. Distance should be at least 3-4 miles per day, at whatever pace you want. I’ve been doing this for 40 years; never fails to bring me up, and it keeps me in shape. In case you’re wondering about the minimum distance, I learned that from experience. Also, research has shown that people in preindustrial times walked between 3 - 8 miles per day, which together with my experience suggests that this is what the human body was made for.
6
@michjas
I also run to alleviate depression, probably 20 miles a week (at age 70). It has to be outdoors to be maximally effective. I find it best to go out early in the morning, as my depression tends to set in during the late afternoon. My rule of thumb is 60 minutes of outdoor exercise a day, especially during winter. It can be slow, but it must be aerobic. Long run days are the best!
5
Depression has many causes. They are physical, hormonal, circumstantial or environmental.
Running may help in some ways, physically and mentally. It may trigger a chemical response. Or, to some people, it is really a form of meditation. However, I'd caution people leaping into conclusion that it is a cure. Because it is not!
I would go so far as to suggest the columnist, Ms Gretchen Reynolds, to do some research and consider why so many high level track runners and marathoners end up in the suicide statistics. I remember I came across an essay in a runner magazine some while ago but can't remember his name. So I decide to google him. Instead, I pull up a list of recent ones, including Gabe Proctor and Sammy Wanjiru.
Perhaps it is the proverbial a sword cuts both ways!
3
@Bos You are ignoring scale. Because of the large sample, the research essentially focused on people who do relatively-moderate amounts of exercise, finding that 15 minutes per day provides measurable benefit. "High level track runners and marathoners" are outliers.
17
@Bos: This elevated rate of suicide in extreme runners suggests another explanation to me. Possibly these individuals are prone to severe depression, but they have self-medicated through exercise. They found on their own that they felt much better while running. Possibly the problem was that exercise was not effective enough to “cure” them of depression.
13
From ages 28-32 I suffered from depression, even despair. Only having to go to work every day got me out of bed. After 4 years of this, my sister convinced me to try jogging. The first day I couldn't make a quarter mile, but I kept at it and after 2 months I signed up for a 10k. Though I finished near the back of the pack, the exhilaration I felt was like a rebirth. I'm in my 70s now and reduced to walking, but the depression has never returned. Endorphins? Sweating? Metabolic change? Just using the body? I don't know the scientific explanation, but my experience convinced me that many depressed people don't need drugs or therapy, just a pair of shoes and someone or something to help get you started.
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@Mainiac
YES!!! My counselor, years ago, was promoting exercise for me. She said, "It is hard to feel badly about yourself, if you have just run/walked two miles." It works. Plus, it keeps the weight off.
3
This should come as no surprise. Regular exercise helps people feel better for all sorts of reasons. Some of them, in no particular order are:
1) Being in better physical shape is often more pleasant to look at for one's self and other people. Better looking people are often treated better by other people.
2) Endorphins feel good
3) You are less likely to get sick or injured. Being sick or injured can causes frustration, irritability, and a feeling of helpless. Not to mention a loss income or productivity.
4)Being fit means you are more physical capable, which is empowering. It also means you have more energy to participate in more things.
5) Successfully completing a task, in this case exercise, give us a sense of accomplishment.
I am sure other people can thing of more.
87
Richard Friedman, in his column in this paper a few days ago, wrote about research that showed rocking was soothing and helpful for promoting sleep. Some exercise specialists have suggested that the rhythmic quality of movement promotes the good feeling we associate with exercise. The relaxation effect of repetition may work on the mind like breath awareness or mantra in meditation, or be enhanced by these practices. Long before such things were studied, people learned from experience that certain types and qualities of movement help mood, creative thinking, and self-image.
9
@Still Waiting for a NBA Title- well written but in the interest of objectivity read my post.
From my own experience, any type of exercise in the end will make you feel good for a short time.
As with anything there is a downside. The brief period in my youth when I took up running (I quickly ended it), the period of wellness was quickly followed by nagging back, knee, foot problems.
There is an up and down with everything in life.
1
@Still Waiting for a NBA Title
These are great reasons, for sure. One interesting thing that happened to me when I got down to a normal BMI, where I've been for some time now, is that I found I was now a perfect manufacturer's size M. I didn't have to worry about having my clothes altered or shopping in the big man's place. This led me to a fun shopping spree for tech clothes and suits which continues to this day!
Still, I need to exercise everyday. Failing that, I need to cut my intake by 25%. If I don't do either, after just a few days, I can see it in the mirror and in how tight my clothes start to get.
6
Depression in people -- male or female -- who suffer from anorexia or bulimia or related illnesses in which exercise can easily PROVOKE destructive behavior is a dangerous kind of depression to begin with. Potentially fatal, this kind of depression must be treated carefully and NOT always be prescribed a course of exercise!
12
This superb article is an example of my top reasons for reading the NY Times. The personal value for health is obvious, yet another proof that daily exercise is worth the trouble. The educational and entertainment value of seeing a new-to-me technique like Mendelian randomization at work is immense. Thank you very much!
38
This study helps show the relationship between movement and mood more clearly. Thanks for writing this.
19
@JEM I have been under a psychiatrist's treatment for my bipolar I & my doc has prescribed medication (which helps so much), but she also wrote on her script pad "30 minutes of exercise daily." She said that is an important "medication" for me. It does help a lot. Even planning when I am going to exercise helps when I am having a hard day. She explained to me the importance of it & I do it. It does help with the extreme tiredness that I have during a depressive episode.
25
I would also love to see some research on anxiety and exercise. For some people, exercise can provoke anxiety (the stress of working out can feel the same as emotional distress).
8
Kat: Very interesting comment I think. I was a middle distance runners in my younger days. At times I did a substantial amount of interval work. Sometimes I approached these workouts with some trepidation but not what I would call full blown anxiety - that's reserved for the moments before the starter's gun went off. The uneasiness I felt melted away once I started running and I almost always felt content that I was up to the challenge I set for myself. I still get those same feelings today doing similarly structured workouts on an elliptical. So my message is (if there is one) do what you can sustain, modify as needed as the years pass and above all allow it to bring you joy and contentment.
11
@Kat - I suffer from extreme anxiety, and exercise is my "drug of choice." I suppose what you're describing could be true of some people, but definitely not for me. Workout stress feels nothing like emotional/psychological anxiety. It feels wonderful and powerful, like I'm slaying dragons or something. Anxiety melts away when I'm really exerting myself, as if all of the pent-up nervous energy in my body gets released, leaving me feeling so much better. It's been a godsend for me.
36
This piece sheds more light on arcane research methods than on maintaining mental health. If the Health Section wants to help readers ward off or cope with depression a more thoughtful discussion is called for.
6
@William
Try exercising more; it’ll help improve your mood.
51