Feeling down?
Well, if I said you could self-administer an
upper that didn’t require a prescription or any skuzzy dealings with the drug
underworld or pharmacies in faraway lands, would you want it? If I told you
even more---that this remedy was invisible but real, would you believe me?
Well, maybe you wouldn’t listen to me, but how
about the white-coated docs at Duke University Medical Center who ran several
studies comparing the benefits of a prescription antidepressant to the benefits
of getting your body up and moving? Intrigued by the many indications that the
motion of the body and the state of the mood were connected, the Duke doctors
set up a formal study that compared the moods of three groups---those who took
an antidepressant, those who did aerobic exercise and those who did both.
After 16 weeks, here’s what they found: People on
antidepressants had the most immediate relief of their symptoms, but by the end
of the 16 weeks, those who were “just” exercising, had the same relief of symptoms and improvement in mood.
Hi ho----sneakers, just as good as pills. What a
concept!
The
Mayo Clinic Weighs In
Yep, the folks at Mayo agree and add more: They
see four benefits to exercise:
·
Confidence: You
meet a goal, you look better, you feel better. In other words, heads up,
knockers out and proud of yourself.
·
Distraction.
You stop dwelling on how bad you feel and shift your thought patterns to more
positive channels like walking out to see the sunset.
·
Interactions.
Depression and anxiety can lead to isolation. Going out for a walk with a buddy
or going to the gym or an exercise class can get you out of the shell of
depression and into some companionship. Even walking Fifi is a companionable
experience.
·
Healthy
coping. You’re doing something positive about your downer mood. You aren’t
drinking excessively to make yourself feel better and not just sitting around
hoping the problem will go away.
I’d add my own benefit: By using exercise as a natural
upper, you’re not putting yourself in harm’s way from drug side effects. Some
of the side effects from antidepressants include insomnia, nausea, diarrhea,
loss of libido, weight gain and ironically, suicidal thoughts. On the other
hand, to be fair, some people do report great relief from these drugs. I just
wonder if they tried walking in the sunshine as a way of upping their moods.
(Lack of light is an acknowledged cause of depression.)
The
Last Word
Dr. Gary Sachs of Harvard Medical School says: “Here’s
your exercise program. Go to the door. Look at your watch. Walk 7.5 minutes in
any direction. Then turn around and walk home. Do that at least five days a
week.”
We can do that.
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