Exercise and depression

So, it's proven exercise can help beat depression.
How do you all get moving?
When I feel down it seems impossible to motivate myself to do any form of physical exercise?
We talked about it in T tonight and tried to make some small goals but they all just seems too difficult now I'm back home.
I'm beating myself up about it now.
Anybody got any tips?

I find swimming is good as you can just get out if your had enough and it's quite gentle exercise and to make myself do it I just don't give myself any choice if thou get into a routine it's easier.

Hey purple orchid-for me it's all about the meds. If the meds aren't at the right dose or I don't have the right med cocktail all the exercising in the world won't help my depression at all! When they're working like now, I rarely exercise since I don't don't enjoy it! For some they get an endorphin high, and it can elevate their mood for awhile, but it's usually only temporary. Don't feel guilty about it, especially if you don't want to do it. Best of luck!!

My therapist has been trying for months to get me to exercise but I have the same problem as you, where can we find the energy? It is hard enough just to get through the day. I think exercise can help and that is probably why my depression didn't hit me hard until I stopped playing sports. I just wish I had the time and energy to do it.

Hope you can find some answers.

Hi, purple orchid. Don't feel bad. Only do what you can do. I can't drag myself off the couch to exercise either. And Vans is right, it depends on the meds, when I was on Seroquel I slept 13 hours day and worked 8, too tired the rest of the time to do anything. Of course, I'm no longer on Seroquel and I'm not sleeping quite so many hours but still feel drained all the time.

Swimming is nice and I do it once a week, but it's cardio.

More intense exercise produces endorphins, just as heroin does, and with little time and effort compared to cardio. You will feel really, really good. But, you have to do lifting exercises with something so heavy you can only lift it 5 to 8 times before crapping out. Ideally just 5. Then work up to 4 groups of that as soon as you can.

I started doing this again this week because I hit a real low point that observers may think is depression. I was to the point of feeling there was no reason to get out of bed. That was new for me. It was painful. My sleep was lousier than ever. Then I found out that growth hormone (which is also produced by intense exercise) helps sleep and that insomnia and depression can become a vicious cycle. This motivated me to act, when I understood that going back to heavy lifting (heavy for me, that is, not for a serious jock) would both help me sleep and get me out of the funk.

Take a chance. Throw the dice. Imagine the possibilities. Google neurotransmitters and sleep or neurotransmitters and depression or whatever. Googling doesn't take much effort, but the info could open up possibilities. This is the site I personally found helpful. Your choices may be completely different:

Neurotransmitters and Sleep Regulation

Today I did four sets of five deadlifts (70 pounds sounds wimpy, but I'm a female over 50, and it was good enough for me starting back into it) and four sets of a couple other things with machines we have in the gym. I feel unusually happy. It doesn't solve everything, but it's way better than feeling like crying and staying in bed.

Good luck finding some motivation! And, yeah, beating yourself up about it is not a constructive approach, so don't go there.

I wonder the same as you. I know walking helps me mentally but most of the time I have no motivation to do it and the thought of it is overwhelming. My old T used to say just do it; which works on some days but other days not a chance. Hope others have suggestions that will help

I don't know. I do it a lot but it never helps

i hate excersize. i always get tired too easy and get down on myself.

I have the same problem. I know I should exercise but getting off the couch and actually doing it seems impossible most days. They say one step at a time but that first step is a b$&ch!

Exercise for just five minutes at a time.

I completely understand about not wanting to nor having the energy to exercise.
It's only in the last few weeks that I began walking 30 minutes a day and only when I can walk with others. Not everyone has that opportunity and if I didn't have it, I would probably still not be walking. Just be gentle with yourself. Is there anyone or anywhere that you can go to walk with people you may know?
Good luck.

Does walking to the refrigerator count? (it's quite far....)

I would like to add, since I can no longer edit my post, that 10-15 minutes of full-out intense exercise is plenty. I like to look at it as trading one kind of pain for another - for a kind that may be helpful to me. Logically, that appeals to me, and it's a break from the tedium of unclear mind and no energy. Yes, it's hard to start, but as an experiment for a few minutes, I can push myself.

I've found that exercise only helped with my depression on an extremely temporary basis, maybe for about an hour or two afterward, but then I would fall into the deep end again.

If you want to get on a regular exercise schedule I suggest you sign up for a martial arts. A martial arts will make it a little bit more fun to go everyday because you'll be learning something new while also sweating out your stress, which you will probably end up sticking with longer than just going to the gym and repeating the same movements over and over again.

Exercise when depressed............... yup - I have heard this too. HOWEVER, they might as well say "jumping to the moon and back will reduce depression" because both are impossible.

I take a walk just about every morning. You just have to make a habit of it. Maybe even get an exercise buddy.

Well you could do things like:

If watching TV for a one hour program you could get up and on each commercial do one exercise like....for the entire commercial break do sit ups....next commercial do push ups on your knees........next commercial do air squats......next commercial walk in place.....next commercial do jumping jacks........next commercial squat thrusts and so on and so on. Next thing you know you did 15 mins of exercise.

I have found an exercise program that I love. It is called Zumba fitness. It is the first and only exercise program I have ever stayed with (1.5 years now). It is so much fun. Try to find an instructor you like. They don't all do it the same way.

THIS.....exactly.
And, go outside and sit in the sun..

<shakes head>

Good idea, thanks for that.
Not too difficult to do, although not sure about the jumping jacks, lol

I've heard that. However exercise makes my depression worse. Every time I've tried over the years all it's done is put me into a deeper depression and sometimes it triggers my OCD to the point where I injure myself doing too much.
I think like all non-therapy & non- medication 'fixes' it's a case of it works for some but certainly not all and can be detrimental to some. Like the idea sunshine cures depression. I do believe it can help SAD-related depression in some cases but a daylight bulb won't for example help someone who has post-partum, or depression linked to PTSD etc.

Yep, sunshine doesn't help my depression either. I've had some of the worst episodes of my life in the summertime. Weather really doesn't affect my mood one way or another, and it never has.

Hello Purple Orchid, If you found an exercise that you enjoyed it makes all the difference. You dont have to jog 5 miles a day to feel the benefit. I lost 4 stone in weight bacause I thought that I was depressed because of my weight. I do feel better but it doent change the fact that I still have depression, I always will. How to get motivated? I found exercise very hard for a long long time but saying that I began to fill my lungs with fresh air, I love nature and to see the trees blowing in the wind, kids laughing, birds singing etc... I think I brainwashed myself in a way and when I came home I felt good and kept that thought in the forefront of my mind. I think its being mindfull of what your body needs. Your brain will tell you "I can't", but you have to push yourself sometimes. There are days when I dont want to walk and but I dont see it as exercise, I see it as "my time". I am not saying its easy at first, its not. Its a habit, we all have bad ones but it's nice to have a good one too.

It's true because when I go on a brisk hike, I feel better. I make sure I do it first thing in the morning, because as the day goes on my motivation slowly seeps away. I find myself doing that with pretty much all my daily goals. Do it early and it's done and over with.