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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by asoiferman on June 7, 2004, at 15:09:26
i've heard that exercise can help to lift depression. anyone know how much exercise they're talking about? also, i was working out 5 or 6 days a week for a few months, then went on vacation for a few days and didn't work out. i also went off my meds around the same time. now i'm depressed and have started my meds again. could the lack of exercise for those few days been a cause of the depression returning? i don't WANT to go to the gym, let alone get out of bed in the morning, but what should i be doing at the gym when i go? anything particular?
Posted by linkadge on June 7, 2004, at 19:20:39
In reply to exercise and depression, posted by asoiferman on June 7, 2004, at 15:09:26
The most conclusive evidence is with aerobic exercise, primarily running. Most of the studys used 45 minautes of jogging a day. Aerobic exercise (not sure about weight training) boosts serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, PEA, endorphens, BDNF, and probably more undescovered.
A few studys have shown jogging to be equal or more effective than standard antidepressants.
Linkadge
Posted by Buckeye Fan on June 8, 2004, at 9:11:51
In reply to Re: exercise and depression, posted by linkadge on June 7, 2004, at 19:20:39
> The most conclusive evidence is with aerobic exercise, primarily running. Most of the studys used 45 minautes of jogging a day. Aerobic exercise (not sure about weight training) boosts serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, PEA, endorphens, BDNF, and probably more undescovered.
>
> A few studys have shown jogging to be equal or more effective than standard antidepressants.
>
>
> Linkadge
Good post Linkadge!
Exercise is the most natural way to deal with stress and anxiety. It is not a magic Cure-All for Depression...but it sure does help.
Linkage has already identified the medical reasons for its benefits.I have found almost any type of physical exertion or excersise to be beneficial, weightlifting and Martial Arts included.
Strectching is great also.
my 2 cents
Buckeye Fan
Posted by h on June 8, 2004, at 9:27:06
In reply to exercise and depression, posted by asoiferman on June 7, 2004, at 15:09:26
For depression I have always heard cardio is the way to go. If your knees can't take jogging/running, the elliptical trainer at the gym is great. Get yourself a discman and some cheerful bouncy tunes to help keep the pace up.
I know how hard it is to get started. But if you can just d-r-aaag yourself to that darn gym and get going it can really make a difference.
I take lex (new user, still getting used to it) and I do spin class (a great cardio workout if you can find one.) However exercise was not doing it for me any more, too much going on.
Best of luck to you.
h
Posted by asoiferman on June 8, 2004, at 10:15:53
In reply to Re: exercise and depression, posted by h on June 8, 2004, at 9:27:06
thanks for the info - i'm taking celexa & wellbutrin and am waiting for it to kick in. i went off them a couple weeks ago (after consulting my doctor) and now i'm having problems. i used to go to the gym 5 or 6 days a week and do weight training and cardio. i'm still dragging myself there, but since i'm not eating much i have very little energy and stamina, so doing cardio is about all i can do right now. it also helps that i see people there that i like to talk to. i hate dealing with this depression stuff - its not fun!
Posted by cherylann on June 8, 2004, at 11:01:31
In reply to Re: exercise and depression, posted by asoiferman on June 8, 2004, at 10:15:53
I used to be able to control my depression with lots of aerobic excercise. Then, about 6 years ago, it either stopped working, or the depression just increased. In fact, the excercise actually made me more anxious. Weird.
I know that the excercise is still good for me and try my best to get some physical activity.
To answer your question, yes, I think the lack of excercise could've been the cause of your depression, but the meds probably had something to do with it also.
Best wishes,
cherylann
Posted by Cybele on June 8, 2004, at 13:03:34
In reply to exercise and depression, posted by asoiferman on June 7, 2004, at 15:09:26
> i've heard that exercise can help to lift depression. anyone know how much exercise they're talking about? also, i was working out 5 or 6 days a week for a few months, then went on vacation for a few days and didn't work out. i also went off my meds around the same time. now i'm depressed and have started my meds again. could the lack of exercise for those few days been a cause of the depression returning? i don't WANT to go to the gym, let alone get out of bed in the morning, but what should i be doing at the gym when i go? anything particular?
I know this topic well.
Regular aerobic exercise (70-80% of max. heart rate for 40-60 minutes 4-7 times a week) is the only antidepressant that I can state unequivocally has helped me. Wellbutrin might have helped a little, until it started screwing up my sleep (was getting lots of sleep but very little deep sleep). SSRIs make me feel much worse. I can't touch them.
Taking leisurely walks or swimming comfortable laps doesn't work; you need to sweat. (Swimming easy laps is a form of meditation, which is a benefit, but it usually doesn't get your heart rate up to 70% for a sustained 30 minutes.) I usually do the Elliptical trainer for 50 minutes (burning 13 calories per minute; resistance level 6; a cross-training profile) or I might run/walk 3 miles. Do use the heart rate monitor on gym machines or buy one.
In lieu of keeping a 70%+ sustained heart rate for 40+ minutes I find that it also works fine a couple days a week to do interval training: get your heartrate up to 90% of max. (get doctor's permission before starting exercise routine) and then back down to 60%, then back up to 90%, and so forth, for 45-50 minutes. This is what I do when I walk/run/walk/run on the treadmill or take a spinning class. I love spinning.
You will find that on days off you might 'crash', so 6-7 days a week is optimal, at first. I can usually get 4 days in and when I feel low on teh days off I just remind myself that I get to exercise and feel better tomorrow.
Feel free to add some weights before your cardio workout. Leg press and bench press always get my heart pumping, and that's a good thing. But you cannot rely on them for AD effect.
Once you have been feeling good for a month or two you can cut back on time or times per week a little. I went for years on a 'maintenance' level of 2-3 spinning classes a week plus 1 weekend hike a month.
Here's a good article on a possible physiological explanation:
http://www.reactivereports.com/21/21_1.htmlAnyway, I am very depressed right now as my husband was laid off in February. He got a job 1500 miles away starting early April and I put the house on the market while taking care of our 2 small kids here in Texas. Seven weeks into his new job he was let go because he wasn't a perfect match for what they needed. So here I sit with no income, a depressed husband half-heartedly looking for a job, and a 6-year old home for the summer. We decided to pay the big bucks and keep our 4-year in fulltime daycare for this month and next just so my husband can have enough peace and quiet to look for a job from his computer and so that I do not have what used to be called "a nervous breakdown."The child care money and my $40/month gym membership are non-negotiables.
I need to go back to working out every day.
p.s. If anyone knows of an AD that is not a SSRI and not Wellbutrin and that doesn't cause weight gain I am all ears.
Posted by snapper on June 8, 2004, at 14:27:12
In reply to Re: exercise and depression » asoiferman, posted by Cybele on June 8, 2004, at 13:03:34
>
> p.s. If anyone knows of an AD that is not a SSRI and not Wellbutrin and that doesn't cause weight gain I am all ears.
>> Parnate
Posted by Cybele on June 8, 2004, at 17:58:26
In reply to Re: exercise and depression, posted by snapper on June 8, 2004, at 14:27:12
>
> >
> > p.s. If anyone knows of an AD that is not a SSRI and not Wellbutrin and that doesn't cause weight gain I am all ears.
> >
>
> > ParnateThanks for the suggestion, but I would have to give up too many of my favorite foods, LOL, and my BP *is* marginally high. I will keep that in mind, however, if I get really bad. I appreciate your quick response.
I have an appt. Thursday with a new primary care physician. My old doctor was awful (at a clinic). She was always running late. She didn't seem to remember me when I went to see her. She once suspected hypermania and wanted to lower my already small dose of Wellbutrin-SR (200mg in the morning only, which doesn't seem to make any difference at all) even though I told her I had gone there straight from the gym after a killer spinning class and was on an exercise high.
(To the original poster: Beware of doctors mistaking a post-exercise high for a hypermanic state!)
Posted by beatrix34 on June 8, 2004, at 21:06:34
In reply to Re: exercise and depression » snapper, posted by Cybele on June 8, 2004, at 17:58:26
I run long distance and cycle but with all that was going on in my life this was not enough to keep me in a non-depressive state. I think for some mild depression exercise only is great for me, but when things get hectic, I need a little more help from the meds. I still do the exercise 5 days a week at least. It can't hurt and it stops me from getting fat from the meds :)
Posted by alohashirt on June 8, 2004, at 22:33:01
In reply to Re: exercise and depression, posted by beatrix34 on June 8, 2004, at 21:06:34
I spent a tedious year working out with weights and a trainer in my local gym. It did help my ADHD and gave me more energy but was boring. About five months ago I began going to a boxing gym, which is astounding fun, exhausting, exhilirating and a great mood lifter.
Posted by Sebastian on June 9, 2004, at 12:03:02
In reply to exercise and depression, posted by asoiferman on June 7, 2004, at 15:09:26
I think the depression is from stoping all your meds. Lack of exercise is just icing on the cake.
Posted by Dr. Bob on June 9, 2004, at 21:41:19
In reply to exercise and depression, posted by asoiferman on June 7, 2004, at 15:09:26
> i've heard that exercise can help to lift depression...
Sorry to interrupt, but I'd like to redirect follow-ups regarding exercise to Psycho-Babble Health. Here's a link:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/health/20040523/msgs/355258.html
Thanks,
Bob
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