Exercise and Depression
By Dr Greg Mulhauser
How useful is exercise for people with severe depression, anxiety, or chronic mental illness? Hundreds of studies suggest it may help, but the actual causal relationships between exercise and mental health remain unclear. The December issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter outlines several possible explanations for the apparent mood-enhancing effect of exercise.
It remains difficult to identify the exact causal relationships between mood and exercise, as the press release explains:
It’s also possible that exercise’s effect on mental health is an illusion, says the Harvard Mental Health Letter. According to some surveys and observational studies, it could be that depression and anxiety prevent people from exercising, rather than the other way around. Or some feature of personality or upbringing might cause both depression and sedentary habits.
Even controlled trials on the subject often have problems, such as insufficient follow-up, the difficulty of correcting for the effect of expectations, and the fact that people who volunteer for exercise studies are not necessarily typical.
These doubts may not matter, because exercise has many health benefits and does little harm. But low motivation is a problem. People are often told to find an activity they enjoy, but depressed people don’t enjoy anything much. So it’s necessary to begin slowly and remember that exercise does not have to be strenuous to be helpful. Walking, gardening, or household work will do.
Great Article - So true, start with a little bit at a time!!!