Okay, after my morning run, I have felt on top of the world!

I know that people always say that exercise can help someones depression, but do you agree with this? whats your personal views on the subject?

and why does it help?

It won't cure depression (it takes meds for that, sorry to people who seem to think nutrition and exercise fix everything) but it will help your mood, which is obviously good for people with depression. I think it has something to do with releasing endorphins and helping your brain chemistry. It also gives you a feeling of self confidence and accomplishment because you actually got off your ass and did something. If I go home, take a nap because I'm "too tired" to go to the gym, then spend my time online or watching TV or on the phone, at the end of the night I feel lazy and worthless because I can't make myself do anything. If I went to the gym, then came home to watch TV or whatever, I feel like a valid person because I actually had some self discipline.

It pumps serotonin.. and it does help indeed.

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Juices like wine, like the blood in the sands.

I must say that after I went running I came back smiling and laughing and I felt good, I really think I have an extra part of energy which needs to be used up.

my boss at my last job was a fucking bitch and a half. everyday after work i'd go on a long run which seemed to slowly release my anger and elevate my mood. of course i'd get angry all over again the moment i saw her face again but it became motivation for me to go run again that night. i love how exercise and mood are so affected by each other.

since I started running I am much more motivated. I think it's the fact that 3,4 or even 5 times a week you're pushing yourself to beyond what you want. like you say "right I'll do 30 minutes." but after 15 mins you're at the point were, it's beginning to nag a little and maybe even get boring but you go on, and then you dig deeper and you complete your target. It's really good at building self belief because you push yourself beyond what you want to do and do what you intend to do, you get a sense of achievement. It's good mental exercise aswell as physical exercise.

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Would you like a cigarette? They're quite exellent.

Actually, I think that limiting yourself when it comes to nutrition makes it even worse! I mean, when you're really depressed and only a donut could cheer you up, which, of course, you aren't allowed to eat, you're gonna feel even worse!

but then you're not depressed in the clinical sense of the word. wouldn't that be lovely though? if depression could really be cured by something as simple as a donut?

Yes, it would
But some people who are really depressed don't even eat that much. So they should be allowed to just eat whatever instead of nothing at all, don't you think so?

Yeah, I feel best and weigh least when I'm eating what I want, within reason. It's not like I go crazy and eat all crap because then I would feel awful physically, I just don't eat perfectly. Exercise, though, has always been good for me mentally, except my compulsive exercise period when I was anorexic the first time when I was 11-12. I was running several miles a day, doing an hour workout in the evening, and doing a short workout in the morning, though, nothing I'd have the time or energy to do now.

absolutely. it teaches you can do so much more than you think. and that in and of itself is enough to make you feel so much better mentally...

that's very true- it wont cure clinical depression, BUT i think it can definitely aid in easing nonchemical depression. the kind that doesnt require drugs. i went through a very depressed period in my life (it was due to circumstances, not anything chemical) and i was prescribed prozac, which was total garbage and did nothing. but starting to work out again is really what felt like the first true thing that got me along my way to feeling better. it was a huge help. i think mainly because of what someone mentioned before- self confidence and optimism and outlook. when you know YOU are capable of more than you think, you start to get the idea that maybe your view on how things are really is limited and there are possibilities for better things than you think...maybe also the world is more than you think it to be.

Actually that's not true. It may not cure depression for everyone. But since depression is usually just a result of low seratonin production, diet and exercise will chemically alter that. Foods with carbs, for example, can raise seratonin levels. So can exercise.

I would much prefer to try and maximize the chemicals my body is already able to produce for me than go running to meds. Sometimes some people need them, I don't want to belittle that. But changing diet and exercise can get a lot of people off of them too.