How does exercise help manage depression in beginners?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a 24-year-old girl and I have been feeling down lately, struggling with low energy and lack of motivation. It is affecting my work and relationships. I have heard that exercise can help with depression and overall mental health. How much physical activity should I aim for each week to see benefits? Are there specific types of exercises that are particularly beneficial for improving mood and reducing symptoms of depression? I am not very athletic, so I am a bit intimidated by the idea of starting an exercise routine. Do you have any tips for beginners? Also, I am curious about the connection between exercise and brain chemistry – how exactly does physical activity impact mental health? Lastly, are there any potential risks or considerations I should be aware of when starting an exercise program for mental health purposes? Kindly suggest.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

I suggest you start slow if you are starting to do exercises like regular exercises such as running, swimming, and cycling, which are aerobic exercises. It will surely help but get yourself going to build basic endurance rather than start with more detail. Just a week is not enough. If you start heavy exercise and your muscles are not trained, then you will surely get muscle soreness and sprain too. The muscle will not recover instead of help it will damage, so start building your endurance first and do not follow any video randomly.

It majorly depends on the type of exercise that has its benefits, like cardio for heart health, weight training for weight loss, muscle building, or simply maintaining the body. Pre and post-workout meals are important; you need to have that too, along with enough water for muscle recovery. When you exercise, keep sipping water. It will prevent cramps. I will surely help you understand how it affects mental health but start with the following guidelines:

1. Get up and stretch yourself every 45 minutes to one hour, as sitting for long can be damaging to our posture. At work, walk the length of the office every hour or two to keep your back happy, your muscles supple, and your blood circulating.

2. Indulge into some deep breathing exercises, it will help you keep calm or even put you to sleep. Practicing some pranayam can surely help here.

3. Plan your week so that your traveling time becomes your rest day.

4. Use the long corridors and long waits for a quick brisk walk in airports/stations. Take stairs rather than escalators. After all, you have to sit for hours for work so make the most of the time you have while you wait at the station.

5. If using a car then park your car away from the destination and try to walk.

After 15 days of being active, start with a small home-based workout, like five minutes of spot jogging, stretching, brisk walking, leg raises, or five push-ups. Then gradually, go back to adding weights. You can follow me back with your detailed lifestyle and diet I can help you with a personalized plan. I hope this helps you.

Thank you.