Hope you don't mind my 2cents, I agree that it depends on the individual and the level of depression.

My therapist mentioned a number, I can't remember what percentage, but a large percentage of the population benefits from about 20 min aerobic exercise, and it can often be as effective as psych meds (according to my T) but another portion of the population has no effect on mood (according to T). So right there, its already dependent on the person.

I think it's GOOD to have people push you to get out , to exercise, and to overcome the feelings. However, I over time have found that for MYSELF, there are times that my bf, for instance, pushing me to get out of the apartment and moving would make it WORSE, and other times it would make it better. =O I have learned to identify the difference in these moods and deal with them accordingly. For me, this awareness of myself and what "type" of depression I was dealing with really really helped.

Hands down, imo depression is a personal experience. there are as many different types of depression as there are people and each person needs to find their own way. I do believe in exercise as a way to try helping a person, and I do believe it is good advice to try to overcome. Depression is something we need to fight, but fighting smart is better than randomly throwing punches, so the more you can learn about your individual experience the better.