Positive Effects Of Exercise On Depression

By Author: Mark
Total Articles: 3
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Researchers have observed for decades that energetic people look less depressed and anxious than inactive people. Since running became popular 2-3 decades ago over 1000 research studies have confirmed what runners were saying all along: Exercise makes you feel good.
The psychological advantages of physical activities consist of positive changes in self-perception and well-being, enhancement in self-confidence and awareness, positive changes in mood, relief of stress, relief of depressive and anxious feelings, positive effects on pre-menstrual tension, improved mental well-being, better alertness and clear thinking, and increases the positive coping strategies.
Major factors that how exercise benefits people who are dealing with three of the most talked-about topics on the Turn2me: depression, anxiety and low self-esteem.
Depression and Anxiety:
People who exercise are satisfied with an instant post-workout elevation of mood.
• One special study shows that clinically depressed people became symptom free within four to five weeks of starting a regular exercise program.
• Duke University ...
... researchers found that people completed the ten weeks of walking and running for 135 minutes a week decreased their levels of depression, anxiety and fatigue.
• Scientist of San Francisco University found that exercising people who ran 8 miles per week for 14 weeks significantly lowered their levels of anxiety and depression when compared to the non-exercising adults.
• In a study comparing the effect of tranquilizers and walking on two groups of individuals with severe anxiety, researchers observed that the walking groups were calmer – that is, the exercise had a greater calming effect than the tranquilizers.
Self esteem
By doing other type of exercises and running allow us to discover our bodies and ourselves. Exercise has an instant and long term effect on our self-esteem.
• People, who run, increase a sense of mastery over a particular work and their environment. Establishing targets and then reaching them gives us a sense of control over our lives.
• People who exercise find that they be able to change themselves for the better in terms of mental health , body image, self-confidence and self-acceptance.
• People who exercise tends to see it as a positive activity that replaces negative or neurotic behaviors and habits.
• People who exercise are taking positive action to improve their lives and it helps them to face their problems.
Now you know that exercise can make us feel better, but you may be wondering how exercise makes us feel this way. When we exercise our brain releases floods of endorphins into our blood stream. These endorphins act in the same way as morphine, they control pain and elevate mood. These “natural painkillers” are available for free with no need for a prescription!
For those of you struggling with depression, anxiety and self-esteem, I hope this article has given you another tool to deal with your problems.
For more information on dealing with depression and anxiety please visit www.Turn2me.org