Mental health is an issue that affects many Australians, it’s estimated that 45 per cent of people will experience a mental health condition in their lifetime. In any one year, around 1 million Australian adults have depression, and over 2 million have anxiety.
While we all feel sad, moody or low from time to time, some people experience these feelings intensely, for long periods of time – weeks, months or even years, sometimes without any apparent reason. Depression is more than just a low mood – it’s a serious condition that affects your physical and mental health.
Depression has been linked to problems with serotonin levels and pathways in the brain – serotonin is a hormone involved in regulatin
g mood, sleep, libido, appetite and other functions. Research suggests that regular exercise may increase the level of brain serotonin and can also increase the level of endorphins in the brain which have ‘mood-lifting’ properties.
Regular exercise can be an effective way to relieve some forms of depression and is often a neglected strategy in depression management. Many studies have shown that people who exercise regularly experience a reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety compared to those who do not exercise regularly.
Regular exercise may help alleviate symptoms of depression by:
- Increasing energy levels
- Improving sleep
- Distracting from worries and stress
- Providing social support and reducing loneliness when exercising with others
- Increasing a sense of control and self-esteem, by allowing people to take an active role in their own wellbeing
Regular exercise can be an effective treatment by itself or alongside other treatments like medication or psychological therapies, depending on the type and severity of depression.
Exercise does not need to be extremely vigorous to be helpful for depression – just a brisk walk can be beneficial. Both aerobic exercise and strength training have been found to be helpful in treating depression. For people who are very inactive, health benefits can be gained by becoming slightly more active. A little activity is better than none at all, and more is better than a little.
In addition to being helpful for managing depression, regular exercise has numerous physical health benefits. These benefits include increased endurance, lung capacity, bone density, muscle and joint strength and stability, as well as prevention of numerous medical conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, strokes and certain types of cancers.
If you suffer from depression and find the idea of exercising in a gym daunting, you may benefit from the privacy of training with a Fitness Enhancement Personal Trainer in the comfort of your own home or our 100% private Studios. Check out one of our success stories, Deb, who used fitness to help manage her depression!