1.       the people who think or are diagnosed as depressed

2.       everyone else who experiences ups and downs

I have talked about this before for those of you who have been with me for awhile.  I wanted to bring it back into focus during this time of our experience because of all the “bad” news that is out there. I first must tell you that I choose not to give it energy- so I feel as happy and as hopeful as ever!   But if you have been subjected to a job loss, stock loss or other circumstances where the energy surrounding you  is sad, fearful and depressed- please read on.

You know that exercise is good for your body, but did you know that exercise is also good for your head? How does exercise compare with medication for the treatment of depression? A recent placebo-controlled study conducted by James Blumenthal, professor of psychology at Duke University and published in the September issue of the journal Psychosomatic Medicine compared exercise to a common antidepressant medication in a group of individuals diagnosed with major depressive disorder, and found that exercise was as effective as the drug at alleviating symptoms of the disorder. In fact, a research team that included psychologist Penny McCullagh, PhD, reached the following conclusions:

1.       Exercise was a beneficial antidepressant both immediately and over the long term.

2.    Exercise was an equally effective antidepressant  for both genders.

3.  The greater the length of the exercise program and the larger the total number of exercise sessions, the greater the decrease in depression with exercise.

There are more but I chose to list the top 3 in my opinion.  Why not lose weight, increase your stamina, AND heal depression at the same time?  And the best part- it’s FREE!

I know it’s considered easy in our society to take a pill. Everyone wants the magic pill for everything.  But pause for a minute and think about where this mentality has gotten us?  What has this type of mentality COST us? I think we can see evidence of it in our health, wealth and happiness.  Here are some shocking facts for our current health status:

• The world now has more people who are overweight than people who are hungry (PricewaterhouseCoopers 2007)
• It is projected that by 2023 there will be a 42% increase in cases of the seven chronic diseases, which will cost $4.2 trillion in treatment and lost economic output (DeVol et. Al. 2007)
• According to the World Health Organization, The US is the world’s fattest nation, with over half of adults overweight or obese. But China and India are growing fatter at a faster pace. By 2015, the number of overweight and obese adults in China and India will grow by 66% and 44% respectively (PricewaterhouseCoopers 2007)

Then there’s our economic status- which I do not need to tell you about.  The point I am making here though is that the way in which we have done things before are proving to us to be ineffective, costly and even deadly.  It’s time for CHANGE.  We voted on it so let’s DO it!

For those of you who are not “clinically depressed” but definitely get into a “funk”, all the same info applies.  Chemically, we stimulate our brains and our bodies to produce our own natural “happy drug” when we exercise- so if you are feeling low… spend at least 10 min doing something to elevate your heart rate and circulate some happiness!

J.J. Flizanes is the Director of Invisible Fitness and was named the best personal trainer in Los Angeles for 2007 by Elite Traveler Magazine. Invisible Fitness offers fitness coaching, workshops & seminars and corporate programs. 800 571 5722  http://www.invisiblefitness.com

Sources

Psychosomatic Medicine, September 2007;
Babyak, M. A., Blumenthal, J. A., Herman, S., Khatri, P., Doraiswamy, P. M., Moore, K. A., Craighead, W. E., Baldewicz, T. T., & Krishnan, K. R. (2000). Exercise treatment for major depression: Maintenance of therapeutic benefit at 10 months. Psychosomatic Medicine, Vol. 62. pp. 633-638.

North, T. C., P. McCullagh, and Z. V. Tran. (1990). Effect of exercise on depression. Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews Vol. 18 pp. 379-415.