How to Fight Depression Without the Pills

Exercise can help without, or alongside, antidepressants and medication to help you live a happier life.

EXERCISE VS ANTIDEPRESSANTS STUDY:

3 groups:
- Aerobic exercise
- Antidepressant medication
- Aerobic Exercise + Antidepressant medication
Results:
- After 16 weeks 65% of people in all 3 groups no longer had major depression
- Exercise and antidepressant results were essentially the same
Follow up:
- Exercise’s effects lasted longer than those of antidepressants.

Exercise enhances the action of endorphins
- Endorphins improve natural immunity
- Reduce the perception of pain.They may also serve to improve mood
  - Another theory is that exercise stimulates the neurotransmitter norepinephrine
- This may directly improve mood
Besides lifting your mood exercise:
- Lowers blood pressure
- Protects against heart disease and cancer
- Boosts self esteem

Get runners high
- When it comes to fighting depression, aerobic exercises have the edge
- 20-30 minutes most days a week
  - (Intensity level doesn’t matter, just get moving!)
- When you cross a threshold while running, you get “runners high”
- A release of endorphins
  - Endorphins are the body’s natural morphine
  - Produce joy and decrease pain levels
  - Boost strength to boost your mood
  - Study of 45 stroke survivors with depression found that a 10-week strength training program helped reduced symptoms of depression
Benefits of strength training:
- Mastery and control
- Visible results
- Focus
  - Inhale, Exhale
Yoga
- Improves flexibility
- Involves mindfulness
  - (Which breaks up repetitive negative thoughts)
- Improves balance
- Is meditative
- Study of 65 women with depression
- 34 women who took a yoga class twice a week for two months showed a significant decrease in depression
  - Compared to the 31 women who were not in the class
Take a hike
- Simply walking his numerous benefits
- In one study, walking fast for about 35 minutes a day five times has a significant influence on mild to moderate depression symptoms
- Just getting outside can boost mood
  - Sunshine stimulates our serotonin levels
  - Many researchers believe that an imbalance in serotonin levels may influence mood in a way that leads to depression.
- Benefits of walking include:
  - Lowers disease risk
  - Strengthening heart
  - Gives you energy