The hard part here is that people who are depressed have very little energy and will power. It is difficult for them to start an exercise program, or even to feel any interest in the benefit it might bring. I have tried to get people to at least go out for a walk, and very gradually add in more exercise, but it is a tough sell. Taking medication seems easier to them. In good circumstances the medication will improve their mood and energy level, and get them back into exercising, at which point they might not need the medication, or at least benefit from lower doses.
Excellent points.
the answer is yes and no…… when my depression was at its worst as much exercise as I put in maybe gave me some relief but meds were still needed……I had dystymia since i can remember probably 12 years old…was on meds since 2001 for major depression I stopped playing hoops that i played 4 times a week in 2017 which led to being out of shape for first time and getting more depressed my playing weight was 180 I was 202…2019 I was lucky to be able to take the year off and completely work on my mental health with exercise and diet…I haven’t been on meds since and haven’t felt that awful feeling I had known my entire life and some of it I thought was normal. I have a complete diary Also I had never lifted weights because I didn’t know how great it was and how much it would have helped my hoop game. when i turned 50 2019 I still weighed 202 but my BF% went from 22% to around 12% I counted calories Macros around 2300 with a trainers help almost a perfect diet and weights and cardio has completely relieved me of all symptoms…I also have ADD as you can tell from this writing…All the doctors and psychiatrist meant well but saying “eat healthy” didn’t mean anything to me. My fitness pal my trainer and diving head first like I was a pro athlete or had a movie part worked I will come back and fix up this writing as i have to pick up children from school All I can say is if you commit it can work No more anti depressants or anti psychotics sex drive back marriage saved everything in life is better…and I am too scared to stop exercising and eating right so I have to look good for 53 and forward forever I did take it to an extreme and lived fitness and still do 24/7 I also had a super athletic thin build so when I lifted as a newbie 20 lbs was not that hard I read T-Nation everyday am about to do the Velocity diet as i find them fun and love protein shakes it worked for me everyone’s chemistry is different again I will fix this up to make more sense
One thing that I missed is a discussion of other underlying issues, specifically Substance Use Disorder.
Many people with anxiety, depression, and PTSD self medicate - which works for a while, then doesn’t. Neither meds nor exercise can mitigate mental health issues that are being treated by self medication.
Detox is needed before the body can recalibrate naturally. This often takes more than six months.
2 Likes
That’s a great success story! Congrats!
These meta-studies confirm a few things I’ve suspected to be true for a while now myself. While taking into account that there is a difference between feeling and being depressed (as well as this same concept with other mental health challenges like anxiety and the like), I think that exercise and diet is just as effective as medication in many cases, although certainly not all. I am very much pro-counseling and therapy for treating mental health issues and overall life well-being, but I know that exercise has also been shown to help with that too (note that the article makes the subtle distinction by primarily referencing talk therapy as opposed to action-based therapy, which I think is more helpful to men especially). I think that with a lot of these things, exercise should be a first response and then use medication as needed as a last resort, with the goal to be to eventually no longer depend on them long term. The effectiveness of exercise and improving overall health vs. medication (especially taking into account the risks that can exist from taking medication that affects brain chemistry) makes me advocate for one before the other. Obviously not every situation is this simple, but I wish society pursued exercise as a valid and effective first response against many of these things more often. I’m not saying medication and counseling and such is bad (on the contrary, I think very highly of counseling), I just think exercise should definitely be considered as an effective first option.
I personally don’t experience any mental disorders although I have felt depressed from time to time before, especially during some tougher parts of life (who hasn’t, though? That’s pretty common to being human, I think). I’ve also dealt with anxiety over some specific triggers over the past year that I’ve thankfully been able to heal from and grow out of a lot of it in the past three months. There’s some things I definitely could have benefited in getting counseling for, although I haven’t been able to for a few reasons. But I know that in all of this, exercise and consistent workouts have always been there as a therapeutic oasis. I think through things and life’s issues better, sort through everything in my head, let off steam, process, and so much more during my workouts. Looking back at the past year and a half, the darkest periods of my life in that time were also when I made the most progress in the gym–and I don’t think that’s a coincidence. I also saw that the worse I felt at a given time, the better the progress was. So while I don’t have any mental health disorders or personal experiences with medication or counseling myself, I do know for a fact that what I do tend to struggle with in this area–some anxiety, feeling depressed, etc.–I know for sure that workouts make it all much better. I think this is why so many guys turn to lifting after breakups and getting their hearts broken: the feeling anxious and/or depressed is made better by defying gravity and putting in some reps. I don’t know what others’ experiences are, but I know for me it’s been a gamechanger by far. Yes, I want to grow and I have physical goals, but I’m at the point where those also coincide with wanting to keep my mind healthy and at ease by putting in consistent gym time as well, because I know that for me consistent workouts improve both body and mind so much.
Heya,
If anything, after all these decades, you still make me laugh, just wanted to say that, as I’ve crawled out from under my rock for now. Thank you, for being you.
Take care.