In the last 2 posts about exercise and depression, I discussed how to help depression. We talked about how exercise helps depression, why it’s important to exercise even if you take an antidepressant, and how to create a plan with achievable goals that are broken down into smaller action steps. Now its time to think about how to stay motivated when depressed. The motivation for exercise doesn’t come easily to many people. It is hard to get started with exercise but it also can be hard to keep going. Old habits can creep back in try to slow down your progress. Learn how to overcome depression and stay well.
Category: Depression
Exercise and Depression: How to get started when you want to stay in bed
In the last post about exercise and depression, I discussed the benefits of exercise on depression and why it is worth it to push yourself even when you have no energy. Exercise helps with overcoming depression but are you wondering how to get motivated when you are depressed? Depression can make it hard to get out of bed, brush your teeth and get dressed. Daily functioning can feel like a chore and even routine activities can feel completely overwhelming. Getting to work each day can feel monumental. And now you want me to exercise to help conquer depression?!!
Treating Depression with Exercise
Exercise isn’t just about physical fitness. It also benefits your mental health! Research supports the link between depression and exercise. Even 1 hour of exercise per week can be effective in helping you overcome depression. Learn how to increase your chance of success by treating depression with exercise and set yourself up for brighter days ahead. Get started and work to overcome depression today!
I am going to break this topic into 3 posts:
- This 1st post discusses the benefits of treating depression with exercise and why it’s important even if you start an antidepressant.
- The 2nd post will help you set achievable goals that will increase your chance to feel positive and get started with your plan.
- In the 3rd post, we will discuss how to maintain your goals with 3 tips to make it easier to stay on track exercising to overcome depression.
Seasonal Affective Disorder? Light therapy can help!
Seasonal Affective Disorder typically occurs in the fall and winter with a remission in spring and summer. People with Seasonal Affective Disorder have symptoms of depression that follow a seasonal pattern. The depression can be significantly impairing even if it doesn’t last all year long. Light therapy can be very helpful. There are various options for different lights for Seasonal Affective Disorder treatment.
About 5% of the US population experiences Seasonal Affective Disorder with symptoms that last approximately 40% of the year. It is more common in females than males (4:1) and often happens in women of childbearing age.