The psychological benefits of physical exercise continues to get substantial attention. Regular activity regardless of demographic variables can produce an array of physical and mental benefits, leading some researchers to encourage physicians to prescribe specific physical activities as part of treatment for a variety of conditions.
“The authors give doctors the “how-to” of prescribing exercise, in steps similar to those used in prescribing drugs: Be as specific as possible; make the exercise prescriptions condition-specific; tell patients exactly how often and how long to do them; intensify the progression about every three months.”
Encouraging clients to increase their level of activity is often one of the first suggestions I make. I have found that when people are able to do it they have increased energy, better body image, feel as if they are making progress toward their goals, and get better sleep, among others. I generally refer to exercise and socializing as “nature’s antidepressants” because the effects can be so profound. The difficulty is helping people find the motivation to actually follow through since exercise is often thought of as something unenjoyable. Ideally, a positive side effect of the increased focus on biological causes of mental illness and treatment methods is motivating people to move from the couch to the gym.
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2 Comments to
“Exercise & Mental Health”
I can testify that exercise works. I created a website for a health club that was going out of business, and in payment, I received a stair climber. I use it instead of prescription drugs to keep away depression. As an agoraphobic, it was difficult for me to exercise adequately before, so this has been great.
I was briefly hospitalized and briefly stuck in a sort of half-way house back when I was severely depressed and suicidal, and even though I’m agoraphobic, so I’m used to somewhat limited activity, those institutions were horrible places to be active. In the mental ward of a hospital, you shuffle around in stocking feet (no shoes, or when you get your shoes back, no shoelaces). They have occupational therapy where you make useless trinkets which you can take home to remind you of the horrors of the place, and you have to participate successfully in group therapy in order to get out, but there’s nothing physical beyond shuffling from your room to the OT room to the group room. In the half-way house, we went on *one* short, briskless stroll in four days (it was too much for one woman who was severely out-of-shape). I left two suggestions when I got out–get a treadmill so we can *move* even though we’re stuck in a house–and serve something vegetarian (I was hungry by the time I got out because almost every meal was meat-based).
I agree exercise is helping me, I suffer from major depression. I was on different meds, which made me gain weight, in turn I felt worse. I suffered from an awful lot of side effects so decided to exercise , try the homeopath route, and eat carefully.
I am now feeling a little better , sometimes I try to make excuses not to exercise but I know I will beat myself up if I don’t exercise.
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Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 17 Oct 2006
