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Can Exercise Help with Depression?
Laurence Lippsett
Medically reviewed on 12/13/2020 by
Dr. Darlene Ifill-Taylor
Charlotte Regional Medical Director
Say you have a boss who puts you down so constantly that your emotional health starts to suffer. After one particularly tough exchange, you close your laptop and set off for a 10-mile run. Back home, your feelings have lost their edge and you spend the afternoon productively. In this case, exercise had a clear effect on your mood—but what if your sadness and difficulty making decisions persist for weeks or months? Can exercise help with depression? The simple answer is yes. Research has shown the positive effects of exercise on depression. For some people, exercise can complement other therapies and help improve symptoms of depression. But like many other strategies for alleviating depression, exercise doesn't help everyone, and it isn't a one-stop cure or a replacement for professional treatment.
How Does Exercise Help Relieve Depression?
There are many theories about the benefits of exercise for depression. Some effects of exercise on depression are psychological and emotional: Exercise can distract you from your worries. It can give you a sense of control and boost your self-confidence and self-esteem. Studies have also demonstrated that exercise has beneficial physiological effects. It can increase levels of certain chemicals in the brain, including endorphins, which reduce pain, and neurotransmitters, which enhance signaling between brain cells.
Exercise also stimulates muscles to secrete chemicals that increase levels of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, which is essential for growing and maintaining healthy brain cells. Increasing the levels of these chemicals counteracts the impacts of depression, which is associated with impeded signaling in areas of the brain that regulate mood. To benefit from exercise, you don't have to go all out running, swimming, biking, or lifting weights. Low-intensity exercises such as yoga and stretching can be effective, too. Even minor exercise can help. Try something more manageable for you, such as gardening, housework, taking a walk, or using the stairs instead of the elevator.
But if exercise feels like too much for you, don't worry. It doesn't mean you're lazy. Remember that depression is a medical condition that saps your energy and impairs your ability to focus, feel motivated, and act on plans. After you get treatment for depression, you can identify the best way to slowly add exercise into your tool kit of strategies to maintain your overall well-being.
Exercise Your Options to Seek Treatment
The most important step is to seek treatment from mental health professionals. They can offer a variety of therapies that successfully relieve the symptoms of depression. Most frequent among first-line treatment strategies are talk therapy (Interpersonal, Psychodynamic or cognitive behavioral therapy) and antidepressant medications. But just as exercise itself isn't a silver bullet for depression, roughly 1 in 3 people don't experience relief even after trying two medications. If you've struggled to find an effective depression treatment, consider Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy.
TMS is a non-invasive, drug-free treatment in which a device near your scalp delivers gentle magnetic pulses, similar to those in an MRI scan. You sit comfortably during the session, remaining awake and alert. The pulses stimulate changes in brain chemical signaling that can alleviate symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder. TMS is FDA-cleared for those who have tried one medication without success (and covered by most insurance policies after two medications). Depression affects different people in different ways. Some treatments work for some individuals, but not for others. Finding the right option for you is critical for both your mental and your physical health, especially if it helps you enjoy and engage in regular exercise. To learn more about whether TMS is right for you, schedule a no-cost consultation.
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A recent study compared the effects of TMS therapy and Antidepressants. TMS therapy provided more relief from patients depressive symptoms compared to Antidepressants.
You may feel isolated and alone when you have clinical depression, and depression also affects your relationships with family and friends. While the primary focus of your treatment is to improve your mental health, it’s also essential to understand your loved ones may experience their own issues as they try to support you. An understanding of how depression affects relationships can help everyone maintain healthy connections and navigate problems. Here are some of the ways depression may affect the people in your support network.
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Starting any medical treatment for the first time can leave you with questions, especially if you’re looking forward to the benefits it may bring. It’s no different when you’re preparing for your nasal esketamine treatment. Your previous mental health treatments may have consisted solely of taking antidepressants at home or visiting a therapist’s office for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), so nasal esketamine is probably a new treatment experience for you. If you're wondering what it's like to start nasal esketamine and get ready for your first session, keep reading. Getting Started with the Nasal Esketamine Treatment As with any new treatment, you’ll first talk to your primary care provider or psychiatrist about whether nasal esketamine is a good fit for you. Alternatively, you can schedule your esketamine nasal spray consultation with a treatment center (such as Greenbrook) that has certification by the FDA’s Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS). At Greenbrook's REMS-certified nasal esketamine treatment centers, our Greenbrook-affiliated psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners will review your medical history and also conduct our own assessment to help determine whether nasal esketamine treatment is right for you. Certain conditions, including blood vessel disease and a history of psychosis, may make treatment a risk for you. Make sure you discuss all previous and present conditions with your doctor or nasal esketamine provider before beginning treatment. If the medication is deemed a good fit, you’ll receive your prescription from the Greenbrook-affiliated provider. Your Greenbrook Care Team will put together a personalized care plan for the weeks and months to follow. Keep in mind that you will need to take a standard (oral) antidepressant along with your nasal esketamine treatment. There are two important regulations to note when it comes to preparing for treatment: Each treatment is followed by a mandatory two-hour observation period. This means you will need to plan to stay at the center for at least two hours following your self-administration of the esketamine nasal spray. You cannot drive during the rest of the day after treatment and must arrange for transportation. These regulations are mandatory. It may be helpful to sit down and plan out several weeks’ worth of transportation once you know your treatment schedule. In addition, if you’re wondering what to bring for the treatment, we recommend entertainment such as an audiobook or playlist of favorite songs and a pair of headphones. You may want them during the two-hour observation period. What to Expect During Nasal Esketamine Treatment On the day of treatment, you’ll need to stop eating any food two hours before your appointment and stop drinking all fluids 30 minutes before you come in. Your Greenbrook Care Team will confirm that you are prepared for the two-hour observation period and that you have a ride home. You’ll get the opportunity to practice using a “trainer sprayer” that mimics the real nasal esketamine sprayer but does not release any medication. The Care Team will encourage you to use the restroom and set up your preferred environment in your private treatment bay or room. Some patients like reduced lighting, for example, while others don’t request light adjustments. You’ll complete a depression scale before each treatment session. Your Greenbrook provider will confirm that the dose kit is yours, show you how to administer it, and then hand it to you. Each sprayer contained 28mg of Spravato esketamine nasal spray. Patients usually start with two sprayers (56mg) and soon increase to 84mg (three sprayers) per treatment. But, your dosage maybe vary. Should you be left with a metallic taste by the spray, the Care Team will offer suckers to help make the flavor dissipate. After your dose, you’ll be encouraged to lie back in your comfortable recliner. While most patients enjoy a quiet setting, Greenbrook is prepared to accommodate patients with a more animated reaction to the medication. You may feel sleepy, dizzy, mildly dissociated, and/or nauseated during treatment. Greenbrook's Care Team is readily available if you need assistance. How to Prepare for after your Nasal Esketamine Treatment Most side effects begin to wane in the second hour of observation, but if you’re wondering, “Is it safe to drive immediately after nasal esketamine treatment?” the answer is a resounding no. In addition to the mandatory ride home, you will need to block off time to rest and let side effects fully dissipate. This extended rest period is especially important in the first weeks of treatment when you’ll have treatment twice a week. Do not drive or operate machinery of any kind until the day after treatment. Just take it easy, relax, and take care of yourself. If you’re unsure what activities you can do or should avoid during this time, talk to your Care Team for more information. While side effects tend to dissipate completely after a good night’s sleep, many nasal esketamine patients begin feeling relief from depression symptoms within hours of their treatment. Other Tips in Preparing for Your Nasal Esketamine Treatment At Greenbrook, we make every effort to schedule your treatment in the afternoons or whenever it is most convenient for you. We encourage you to see each treatment session as an opportunity to relax and take care of your mental health. If you have any questions or concerns, talk to your doctor or the Greenbrook Care Team. At Greenbrook, we’ll help you feel at ease when preparing for each treatment session. Schedule A Free Consultation To get started with nasal esketamine, schedule your free consultation today.
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