7 Great Exercises to Ease Depression

 

Everyone feels sad or down from time to time. This is normal. However, if you feel as though sadness is affecting your daily life and that it may be something more serious than just a temporary feeling, you may want to consider talking to a health professional.

 

Depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the United States. It affects over 15 million American adults each year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

 

But did you know that exercise can help fight depression? In fact, it's so powerful that some researchers believe that physical activity can be just as effective as drugs for treating depression.

 

People who are physically active tend to have better self-esteem and moods than those who aren't active. Exercise releases chemicals in your brain called endorphins, which create feelings of happiness, relaxation and well-being.

 

It's important to keep your body moving when you're feeling depressed. Regular exercise can help reduce depression symptoms, improve mood and boost energy levels.

 

Here are 10 tips for how exercise can ease depression:

 

1. Take a brisk walk or jog outside

 

One of the Great Exercises to Ease Depression is to  Take a brisk walk or jog outside. Getting outside in the fresh air and bright sun can improve your mood and outlook on life. Exercise will also help you gain more confidence about the way you look, which can be one of the problems that led to depression in the first place.

 

If you've been inactive for a while, start slow with a 10-minute walk. Then add five minutes each week until you're up to 30 minutes a day. Walking or jogging are both easy, low-cost ways to get exercise.\

 

Make sure that you are getting enough Vitamin B in your diet if you suffer from depression. Having a deficiency of Vitamin B can cause depression symptoms to act up. Foods like leafy greens, beans, eggs, and chicken have Vitamin B. Also, there are supplements that you can take that contain this vitamin.

 

If you have been prescribed a medication that you feel comfortable taking, it is important not to avoid taking it. People who have heart problems or who take other medications have to be particularly careful not to take too many depressants. This is a sure fire way to feel even worse than you did beforehand.

 

2. Swim laps for an all-over body workout

 

Swimming is one of the best and most effective types of exercise you can do, especially if you have severe arthritis or any kind of joint pain. It's also an excellent exercise if you're overweight. If you have arthritis, swimming can be a good way to stay in shape without wearing down your joints.

 

One of the Great Exercises to Ease Depression is to  Swim laps for an all-over body workout.Swimming laps is a great way to get aerobic exercise which boosts your heart rate and helps prevent depression.

 A related study found that just walking a mile per day was enough to improve mental well-being! Swimming laps is a full body workout that will make you feel like an athlete and keep muscles toned. You can swim alone or with friends, so it’s ideal for all levels of fitness!

 

3. Practice yoga or tai chi for relaxation

 

 Yoga or tai chi are good options if you're looking for a powerful mind-body technique to lower stress and boost feelings of calm and wellbeing. Physical activity is also an important component of recovery from depression.

 

If you've never done yoga or tai chi before, look for beginner classes in your area. These gentle, low-impact practices encourage flexibility and relaxation. They also help improve balance and posture.

 

In fact, studies have shown that practicing yoga may have similar benefits to aerobic exercise when it comes to easing symptoms of depression and anxiety. This is partly due to the fact that yoga combines physical movement with breathing exercises and meditation or relaxation. It also gives you the chance to focus on the present moment rather than dwelling on negative thoughts or feelings from the past.

 

4. Grab a jump rope and skip away stress

 

You are sitting at home, depressed. You know you need to exercise, but you can't quite get motivated. You really don't want to leave the house and go to the gym and have people see you. You don't have a lot of money to spend on equipment, so what are you going to do?

 

You could go to your local sporting goods store, or discount store and purchase a jump rope for under $10.00. This is the perfect inexpensive way to begin an exercise program that will help you fight depression. While this may sound too simple, it is a fact that jump rope exercises are one of the best cardiovascular workouts you can get. It will work your arms and legs, your heart and lungs. Jumping rope will make you sweat, which is another benefit as it helps your body get rid of toxins through perspiration.

 

Be sure you choose the right size jump rope. If it is too short you will feel clumsy and off balance when jumping. The handles should be comfortable in your palms and fingers as well. If they are too small they will not fit properly in your hands and may cause muscle strain or fatigue after just a few minutes of jumping. Jumping rope also helps build hand-eye coordination as well as muscle strength in the

 

5. Gardening

 

Gardening is known to provide many benefits for people. It can improve your mood, reduce stress, and make you feel more relaxed.These are just a few of the reasons why gardening is known as one of the great exercises to ease depression. If you want to know more about how gardening can help relieve depression, then read on!

 

The first reason why gardening is known as one of the great exercises to ease depression is because it helps relax your mind and body. This means that your brain will be able to function at its best when you are doing something that you enjoy doing. If you do not enjoy what you are doing, then your brain will not be able to function properly and this can lead to further problems with depression.

 

It also helps lower your blood pressure. When you have high blood pressure, it can increase the chances of having a heart attack or stroke. However, if you do some physical activity like gardening then it can help lower your blood pressure and thus reduce the chances of having these types of illnesses.

 

6. Water workouts

 

When you're depressed, it's hard to motivate yourself to do much, but one of the great exercises to ease depression is to get in the water. Not only is swimming a great way to exercise, moving your body in water can actually provide relief from depression and anxiety.

 

Swimming can also improve your mood by boosting your self-image. It's not always easy for people with depression to stick with an exercise program, but swimming is something that anyone who can move their limbs can do. Even if you don't swim laps or do the butterfly stroke, just being in the water and using your arms and legs can be a great workout.

 

When you suffer from anxiety or depression, it makes sense that you might want to avoid loud, crowded places like gyms or health clubs. But since most people think of pools as quiet and relaxing places, they may be less intimidating than other exercise environments.

 

7. Dancing to music

 

Dancing to music can be a great way to ease depression and anxiety, lift your mood and boost those feel-good endorphins. The nice thing about dance as exercise is that you really don't have to think about anything else but the music and movement. For me, it's a form of meditation – I just let go and listen to my body.

 

I also love dancing because it doesn't feel like exercise – it feels like fun! You can pull on your favorite outfit and really let loose! You can do it completely by yourself or with friends; when you're feeling down it’s easy to isolate yourself, but dancing is a great way to spend time with others in a safe, joyful environment.

 

Figuring out how to exercise when you're depressed can be tough. When you're feeling low and down, physical activity that you used to love can feel completely overwhelming. And the idea of exercising can seem like an unachievable feat when your physical energy levels are zapped and your motivation is practically non-existent. So, if there's one rule to follow it's this: do something, no matter how small. Small acts can add up to significant benefits in the long run, so if that something is all you can handle, so be it. 

 

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