Begin to Heal Depression with Exercise

Find out how exercise can help put you on the road to recovery.

Exercise can really help with depression, but because one of its primary symptoms is lack of motivation and energy, turning things around can seem daunting. One area where many people struggle is by trying to undertake too much too soon. If, however, you make small commitments, assigning yourself much smaller targets than you're used to, over a small period of time, you set yourself up for success. Why try to leap the staircase, when you can take it one step at a time?

Start your day by getting up early, no later than 8:30am. Irregular and unhealthy sleeping patterns are both a symptom and contributor to depression. Imagine for a moment that we could treat a serious illness like cancer with nothing more than an early start to the day. No one would think twice...

Make sure you have a healthy breakfast. Depression often causes loss of appetite and wavering energy levels, so while you may have to make an effort to polish off the meal, keep in mind it will wake you up far more effectively than any alarm clock. Porridge is an excellent choice, as it contains slow-burning energy that will last you all morning. These days you can get it in all sorts of different flavours, too, although golden syrup is hard to beat. Add some fresh fruit if you need an instant energy burst.

Exercising is fantastic way to counteract many of depression’s symptoms. Physical activity will help you build a healthy appetite, releases endorphins, promotes a sound night's sleep, and you’ll have a well earned feeling of accomplishment.

The key to using exercise to your benefit is to set small, realistic targets. Deciding to go to the gym 5 days a week can be unrealistic even in ideal circumstances, & nigh on impossible if you're recovering from depression. Instead, try setting yourself one exercise target each morning, even if it’s just walking round the block for 5 minutes. Once it’s done, it’s done, and you don’t have to think about it again until the next morning.

If the weather’s not on your side, try running on the spot until you’re out of breath, doing some stretching, or calisthenics like star jumps. Several popular exercise DVDs break down work-outs into 10 minute chunks, which is very useful. The great thing about exercise is, it’s accumulative, and absolutely any amount will have a degree of benefit.

And for the Yin to exercise's Yang, put aside some time each day to deliberately relax. Meditation or Tai Chi would fit the bill nicely. Even turning off your phone for 15 minutes, closing your eyes and listening to some mellow music will do a surprising amount of good. If you like the idea of meditation but you’re not sure how to start, you can find some great guided meditation videos on YouTube, or try searching for "mindfulness".

Remember, depression, in most cases, is a manifestation of several circumstances and factors. Don’t attempt to tackle them all at once. Tweak the circumstances you can control, at whatever pace you feel comfortable, and you’ll be stacking the deck in your favour.

Jonny Good is a writer & martial arts professional.

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