Natural Approaches to Warding Off Depression - 3 Steps to Using Exercise to Treat Depression
Depression affects many people at some point in life.
The symptoms may include sadness, hopelessness, changes in sleeping habits, loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed, and sadness and anxiety about the future.
Depression robs us of joy, fulfillment, and happiness within our relationships.
Sometimes depression is caused by unresolved grief, life changes, an emotionally abusive relationship, or issues with brain chemistry.
While it may be necessary in extreme cases to battle depression with pharmaceutical medications, frequently a natural approach can alleviate symptoms of depression.
Here are 3 steps for using exercise as a method to ease depression: 1.
Start slowly.
Check with your doctor before implementing an exercise program to determine your level of fitness and ideal activities.
Regardless of your level of fitness, when you are starting out, do not push to hard.
You will defeat the purpose of using regular exercise as a prescription to treat depression if you overdo it, make yourself sore, and keep yourself out of the gym for several days.
When in doubt, ease up until you have a sense of what your body can comfortably handle.
2.
Utilize cardiovascular types of exercise in your regular regimen.
For the purposes of treating depression, cardio exercise is the best type of exercise for elevating mood.
What you want to go for is a type of activity that raises your heart rate for a sustained period of time, in order for the "feel good" endorphins to be released into your system.
This, along with the improved body image and general physical health you'll achieve, does wonders for your mental state.
3.
Work up to a therapeutic level.
Ideally, you will be doing cardio exercise 45 minutes per day, 5 times a week.
However, do not allow this number to intimidate you or leave you feeling like you cannot accomplish this, causing you to do nothing.
Start moving, whatever that means for you.
Park further away from the grocery store and walk.
Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Some exercise is better than none, and you will find there is a snowball effect -- the more exercise you do, the better you will feel and the easier it will be to increase it.
The symptoms may include sadness, hopelessness, changes in sleeping habits, loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed, and sadness and anxiety about the future.
Depression robs us of joy, fulfillment, and happiness within our relationships.
Sometimes depression is caused by unresolved grief, life changes, an emotionally abusive relationship, or issues with brain chemistry.
While it may be necessary in extreme cases to battle depression with pharmaceutical medications, frequently a natural approach can alleviate symptoms of depression.
Here are 3 steps for using exercise as a method to ease depression: 1.
Start slowly.
Check with your doctor before implementing an exercise program to determine your level of fitness and ideal activities.
Regardless of your level of fitness, when you are starting out, do not push to hard.
You will defeat the purpose of using regular exercise as a prescription to treat depression if you overdo it, make yourself sore, and keep yourself out of the gym for several days.
When in doubt, ease up until you have a sense of what your body can comfortably handle.
2.
Utilize cardiovascular types of exercise in your regular regimen.
For the purposes of treating depression, cardio exercise is the best type of exercise for elevating mood.
What you want to go for is a type of activity that raises your heart rate for a sustained period of time, in order for the "feel good" endorphins to be released into your system.
This, along with the improved body image and general physical health you'll achieve, does wonders for your mental state.
3.
Work up to a therapeutic level.
Ideally, you will be doing cardio exercise 45 minutes per day, 5 times a week.
However, do not allow this number to intimidate you or leave you feeling like you cannot accomplish this, causing you to do nothing.
Start moving, whatever that means for you.
Park further away from the grocery store and walk.
Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Some exercise is better than none, and you will find there is a snowball effect -- the more exercise you do, the better you will feel and the easier it will be to increase it.
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