Research has shown that people who have regular exercise have fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression than people who do not exercise regularly. Regular exercise can be as effective as some antidepressant medication. Anxiety disorders are more common among people who don’t have regular exercise.
The problem is that people who are depressed feel lethargic and unmotivated. I often find that people know that they feel much better when they exercise, but are waiting (usually in vain) for motivation to just appear, and when it doesn’t just don’t end up doing the very thing that can help them the most.
Exercise doesn’t need to cost anything and helps with general health as well as problems with mood and anxiety.
In the book, ‘Exercise for Mood and Anxiety’ by Michael Otto and Jasper Smits, the authors have come up with some interesting ideas to increase motivation.
How to Get Yourself Self-Motivated
It would seem that motivation is influenced by others. We are motivated by what others say and by seeing others do certain things. Even going to a nearby area where others are exercising is helpful.
Part of staying motivated is in ‘manipulating your environment to support you’ rather than ‘digging deep’ to find motivation. One of the strategies is leveraging one motivation against another. For example, if you like listening to music, listen to music while you exercise, or treat yourself to a cup of coffee with a friend after a brisk walk.
Otto and Smits talk about the ‘effort muscle’ and not fatiguing it. What this means is relying on a few mini efforts rather than a large one to get moving. So, for instance, if you are trying to exercise in the evenings after work and you arrive home and collapse exhausted on the couch, the idea of a brisk walk or run is just too much. But, if you firstly concentrate on putting on your walking shoes and that is all, it is manageable. Next, you walk out the door. That is not too difficult. Then you work on walking around the block. Then walking further. It’s all much easier than focusing at the outset on that big chunk of exercise and by the time you’re out the door, you will probably continue and you may even start to enjoy it.
Get yourself into good habits and make exercise a habit you don’t even have to think too hard about. Pick days and times that you always exercise, get your clothes ready, diarise it and make it a habitual part of your routine. Even better, meet a friend and exercise together on those days.
Anticipate obstacles and put strategies into place to overcome them. For example, if you know that late nights reduce your motivation for that early morning swim, plan to go to bed earlier on the nights before your regular exercise.
Clean up your thinking. People who are depressed and anxious may have biased thinking. So, instead of beating yourself up about a slower time than you would have liked on your morning run, congratulate yourself on having done it and remind yourself that is it normal to have better and worse days. Thoughts are not necessarily true or helpful and treat your thoughts with interest and curiosity but not to be taken seriously.
How Exercise Helps with Mood Problems
Exercise is a distraction from thinking and worrying, particularly more strenuous exercise. The release of endorphins makes you feel good, lifts your mood and reduces the stress hormone cortisol.
Sleep is affected by stress and anxiety and exercise helps you to sleep better, so you feel better and have more energy to tackle your problems. If you exercise with a friend, you are not isolating yourself as many people with depression tend to do and you have the benefit of social connection.
It is useful as part of treatment for anxiety or depression, but can also stand alone if a person is not too severely affected by a mood disorder. It can be useful for those who only respond partially to antidepressants.
It is thought that exercise increases the level of serotonin which is the neurotransmitter thought to play a part in depression and anxiety. As you become fitter with exercise, you also become better able to deal with stress.
The effects of exercise are very quick and you will probably notice positive effects on your mood immediately after a bout of exercise.
What Kind of Exercise Should I Do?
Just about any kind of exercise will improve your mood. Running, walking, yoga, and weights have all been shown to reduce depression provided, of course, the exercise is suitable to your level of ability. If necessary, have a check-up by your doctor before embarking on any exercise program.
How Do I Start?
It is useful to formulate appropriate goals and then make a plan using some of the suggested strategies. It is a really good idea to monitor your exercise as it is very motivating to see progress.
What Changes Can I Expect If I Start Exercising Now?
It is not exactly clear how much, how often or at what intensity to exercise, but in a general way, dependant on your age and fitness level, with a reasonable amount of regular exercise you can expect fewer problems with mood and anxiety.
