Depression and Exercise: An Exploration

Exercising can do great things for your mood. Whether in personal training Miami classes or group training Miami classes, getting out into one of the fine gyms Miami has to offer and being present with a dedicated community can be invaluable to your physical fitness training. While it does lift our mood, helping the brain produce seratonin and dopamine, there is a myth that exercising frequently can be a substitute for anti-depressants.

This widespread myth is often quoted at people who have just come out as being ill, and can limit their willingness to get medical help or start working out entirely. It can be very difficult to share this information with other people, especially considering the typical reaction is ignorance, disgust, and misinterpretation. Remembering that individuals with depression and other neurological conditions have actual, physical illnesses that show up on brain scans is vital in treating them with dignity. Just like we can't will ourselves to feel better when we have the flu, depression doesn't go away because we want it to or because we walk every day. Suggesting exercise as a cure all can be condescending and hurtful.

Not everyone who is diagnosed with a mood disorder needs to be medicated. Often, dietary changes and exercising, as well as therapy, can be a really great way of helping the brain deal with the disorder in a non-chemical way. For some of us, though, there is no getting better without medication. When the brain is sick, it's just like any other organ. Everyone's physical fitness journey is different, but no matter who you are, the most intensive boot camp style Miami workout is not enough to cure a chronic neurological disorder, and the amount of people who suggest this to those diagnosed with these conditions is shocking, especially considering one of the heaviest symptoms can be the inability to get out of bed due to extreme muscle pain, disorientation, and fatigue.

Any real treatment plan involves a degree of exercise. Mental and physical health are intrinsically intertwined. One depends on the other. We need motivation, discipline and willpower to carry out our workout routines, and we need a healthy and active body in order to help us maintain that motivation, discipline and willpower. Energy level, seratonin, adrenaline, and dopamine are all partially regulated through the active body. Depending entirely on medication, especially any medication that one can develop a tolerance for, is not a treatment plan - it's a band-aid.

While medication can be lifelong, the degree at which it is taken can depend on many factors that shift over a lifetime. Diet and exercise can help decrease the need for heavy dosages, and, combined with therapy and healthy life choices in terms of rewarding our passions, career aspirations, etc. can lead to more balance.

There are many reasons to get out and exercise, especially if your mental health needs a boost. While it doesn't solve everything, it can certainly lead to a better quality of life.

Comments? Questions? Email Here

© HowtoAdvice.com

How to Advice .com