Just a simple question to those of you suffering from depression, anxiety or are just going through a tough time. Now or sometime in the past.
Have you tried exercising, and did it help? What kind, and how did it make you feel?
I have recently started making myself go on a walk at least once a day, and I can definitely say it increases your mood over time. It’s not noticeable at first, but after a week or so I was definitely feeling more ‘fresh’ and energetic than before.
Going for a walk also forced me to get some vitamin D which helped keep me going too.
It’s 100% worth it.
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Yes, definitely. For me, it is kind of a meditation - while I work out, I can’t really think a lot, and after working out I’m exhausted. It is just a reset for thoughts.
An exercise routine has helped me a lot, exercising sporadically, not so much. I don’t really feel a sudden sense of relief from a single session, but I’ve noticed that when I’m working out regularly, I feel better overall. It’s not a sudden change, and not a “cure all”, but it helps me focus better during the day, sleep better at night, crave less junk food/alcohol, and just feel less sense of “everything sucks”. The routine also really helps me stick to other daily habits that I’m embarrassed to admit I struggle with, such as brushing my teeth.
I’m currently working to get back on my full routine, but in the past, I did weightlifting Mon-Fri, with intense cardio (running, stairs, etc.) MWF and chill cardio (walking) TTh. When I was really, really into it, that naturally led to being quite active on weekends too, such as 5k’s, long ass walks around town, and hiking.
My advice to anyone trying to start a routine is to start small and gradually build it up. So step 1 for getting back to my full routine right now is a short daily walk. Once the short walks become a natural part of my daily rhythm, I might make the walks a little longer, add in a little running, and/or add in some light strength training moves, all depending on my overall goals and what feels within reach.
No. Nothing helped but time. I think most people here were not actually with major depression or anxiety like I was
I had the same experience. I think exercise works for a lot of people, but not for everyone. The people who it does not work for het pressured into doing it anyway, which is harmful. In my case, my stress levels were consistently extreme and exercise would put it into an even higher zone where my body was unable to deal with it. All the pressuring me into exercising really harmed me. It took me years until a specialist explained this to me and all this time I felt like a failure and I tortured myself with exercise.
Yeah, it helps keep me sharp and alert. Also, emotional regulation.
Diet is probably more important for me. But exercise is definitely beneficial to my mental and emotional health.
Yes and no.
When I was in my early 40s I lost over 100 pounds. Overall, yes my mental health was greatly improved.
Unfortunately, my perspective changed and at some point I realized that I’d reverted to behaviors that I hadn’t exhibited since the last time I was fit (late 20s). I started being more judgemental of people who are overweight, and I even started wondering if I could do better than my wife. Awful stuff. I came really close to making some terrible mistakes.
YMMV, but for me it was dangerous territory. Thankfully everything worked out ok, but I’m fortunate that my wife is both patient and forgiving.
Absolutely. No question about it.
If fact I find that exercise is the only thing that brings instant relief. There’s not a single time I’ve went to the gym feeling shitty and came out not feeling better. I believe it’s scientifically proven that exercise is as good or better treatment for depression than anti-depressants.
I hate working out. I don’t get the endorphins from it that other people seem to talk about. Directly, no. I didn’t get anything from it.
But…
I look good. People speak to me differently. I have more and better sex. Better for quality makes me not feel like shit all the time. My personal image has changed and I time myself depressed a lot less.
So ultimately, yes. Go to the damn gym.
I don’t notice much of a difference myself, but those around me tell me that there’s a huge difference in my behavior between when I’m exercising regularly and when I’m not. And my roomates have let me know that they prefer that I keep up my exercise routine, as it makes me more pleasant to be around, lol.
I went to the gym for about a year, went on a stricter diet too, but it was making me even more miserable so I stopped. Absolutely hated the narcissist/“motivational” subculture surrounding it all too.
Yeah I feel better exercising. Makes me feel tired at first but better mentally. Probably because the brain gets a break when exercising and also because the body creates endorphins.
When I’m depressed, working out or even just going for a vigorous walk is hard as hell.
BUT IT DOES HELP. But it isn’t a magic pill you have to force yourself to keep at it.
Yeah, last Summer when i was working out (really should start again) it definitely helped me out in the way that i was so tired I couldn’t be depressed.
This is really frustrating to type out, but honestly no. I’ve been working out consistently for 2-3 months now, and if anything I feel more tired and irritated throughout the day than I did before. I’ve got a lot on my plate right now, so it’s possible that the extra activity minus a little bit of sleep is to blame rather than the exercise itself. I look and feel much stronger than I did before, and I’d like to think that my mental attitude has improved, but honestly ever since I started working out I just always want to be in bed.
Exercising just does not work for everyone. If your stress levels are extreme, it might not benefit you. You might need to find another way to reduce stress first.
I have had a very similar and frustrating experience where I’ve been exercising regularly since the beginning of the year pretty much but my insomnia honestly felt like it got worse so I was just exhausted all the time, plus frustrated that I wasn’t able to do as much stuff that I actually enjoyed because working out would take up extra time in my day, and on top of that I haven’t seen any weight loss from it (despite also dieting). In the past I never had this issue and I’d be able to work out regularly and feel better and healthier so I’m not sure if it’s just my worsening mental health or new stressors or what but it’s awful.
Yup definitely feel you on the “not having enough time” aspect of things. I think that’s one of the major factors to my situation, at least for my general mood. My schedule is pretty much wake up, go to school/work, come home and work out, get some stuff ready for my DnD game, then go to sleep. Outside of the DnD stuff, I’ve barely had any free time to just chill or play videogames. Since working out, my days have had to be planned damn near down to the minute and it’s so exhausting feeling like I always need to be doing something.
I feel like when I do a good workout I need about an hour MORE sleep to recover. If you are getting less, I feel like that will cause a significant struggle.
I think you’ve identified the issue. Sleep is just as important. Substituting one for the other won’t get you anywhere.
That said, personally I find it much easier to sleep when I am exercising adequately.
It’s really just the time aspect of things. Working out when I get home means everything else I need to do gets pushed back at least an hour. I’d love to get a better sleep schedule, and I’ve been trying to focus on it the last week or two, but I’ve just got so much crap to do and having no time to decompress between activities is wearing me out. Sometimes I have to eat dinner and go straight to bed, which my body does not like. I’ll figure something out eventually, but right now things just kinda suck 🤷🏾♂️
My watch pointed out my HRV suffers if I eat right before bed. It shows how “restful” my sleep is and if I eat in the last two hours before bed, the sleep barely gets into “rest” levels. Like equivalent to sitting down in a chair instead of sleeping for the first couple hours.
I know it sucks but maybe consider a larger lunch and just a light protein shake or something before bed if you really need calories then. I’m still figuring all this out too, but that really makes a big difference for me
It’s hard for me to pinpoint exactly what put me in a better mental state, as I started working out, dieting, and decreasing my alcohol consumption all at once. I don’t think working out by itself is going to help, you have to attack the issue from various angles.
