Whenever I am in a bad mood, my peers always tell me to go to the gym or go for a walk. But obviously when I am sad and upset, working out is the last thing I’d ever want to do. However, there is support to claim that working out and exercising really do improve your mood and make you feel better.
When you workout, you release brain chemicals such as endorphins. Endorphins interact with things in your brain that trigger a “feel good” feeling all around the body. “For example, the feeling that follows a run or workout is often described as “euphoric,” (WebMD). This can sometimes be known as the term “runners high” which puts you in a good mood. Endorphins act as painkillers in a way and they make you think you aren’t in as much pain as you really are. Endorphins make your brain much more active to take your mind off of whatever you are upset over.
Another source says that there is a different chemical in the brain that comes from exercising and increases your mood. Lifehacker suggests that when you begin to exercise, your heart rate obviously increases, so this tricks your brain into thinking you are stressed. “To protect yourself and your brain from stress, you release a protein called Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor,” (Lifehacker). This is why we feel so peaceful and clear when we are exercising and after we finish.
A study conducted by Duke University in the 1990’s put depressed patients into three groups: an exercise only group, an exercise plus antidepressant group, and an antidepressant drug only group. After a few weeks, the drug-only group was doing better than the other groups. However, after 10 months, it was the exercise-only group that had the highest decrease in depression symptoms and stay-well rate.
Another thing that comes from exercise, which obviously makes you feel better, is an increase in self confidence. The common phrase “look good, feel good” is absolutely true, and as you workout, your body changes to make itself better. This will increase your self confidence and improve your mood because you will be happier with what you look like.
Dr. James Gordon said “What we’re finding in the research on physical exercise is, the physical exercise is at least as good as antidepressants for helping people who are depressed. And that’s even better for older people, very interesting, even more important for older people.” Another study found that 30-minute workouts done three times a week cut depression symptoms in half in young adults. That is incredible. In another study, adults aged 20 to 45 years who had depression did exercise alone to see if it improved their condition. The adults who did low-intensity workouts for three to five days a week had a 30 percent decrease in symptoms.
If you really feel lazy and don’t want to go to the gym, there are other solutions:
To improve your mood, you don’t even have to do that intense of a workout. A study by Dr. Andrea Dunn at Cooper Research Institute in Dallas, Texas found that people who walked for only 35 minutes per day, six days per week, had a decrease in their depression by 47%. This study explained that a minimum of three hours of even just walking a week helps with depression and takes away the symptoms.Exercising works just as well as the medicine Prozac (PsychCentral). Another thing that can help treat your symptoms of depression even more is taking a friend with you on your walk. Being in contact with a friend and venting to them about your stress can give you emotional support at the same time as working out. “Meeting a friend for a walk can be a great way of combining casual social interaction with moderate physical activity,” (PsychCentral).
Another substitute for exercising is surprisingly cleaning. I like to clean when I am in a bad mood because it makes me feel in control of something and organizing helps. Cleaning has an advantage; it is that “you are able to see the results of your efforts, which can be a great motivator,” (PsychCentral). Another easy substitute for exercising is just walking your pet outside. Dogs for the most part are very happy and their energy effects you and makes you happy as well. An easy way to ease your depression is to bring your dog on your walk with you.
All in all, if you are ever in a bad mood you should get up and do something productive. If you do not want to do an intense workout at the gym, then go for a walk or clean your house. Any activity can help with your symptoms and help to make yourself feel better!
“Exercise and Depression: Endorphins, Reducing Stress, and More.” WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2015.
“Is Exercise the Best Drug for Depression?” Mercola.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2015.
“What Happens to Our Brains During Exercise (and Why It Makes Us Happier).” Lifehacker. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2015.
“3 Ways to Beat Depression Through Exercise.” World of Psychology. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2015.
This blog is very accurate. I do not love to workout, but I do however, love to workout when I am stressed or in a bad mood. For some reason, it always makes me feel better. However, now I know why i feel better after working out!! Like you mentioned earlier, there are other ways to relieve stress. I tend to choose to clean. I am very OCD and need everything to be exactly where it is supposed to be. So when I am in a bad mood, cleaning is my solution. Yes exercising makes you feel better, but how much better can it make someone feel when they are already depressed?
I’m right there with your research, as a runner (cross country, track, free time) I can always look towards the end of those workouts to help me feel better about my day and myself, personally and physically. That sense of “runners high” you talk about is in my opinion the all in one stress reduction, mood elevation, and reduced pain perception feeling that can never be beat. The studies you’ve gathered all reliably prove to claim that working out and exercising really do improve your mood and make you feel better. Just like healthy activity, next thing to a healthy lifestyle is a healthy diet, right? This study here explores the effects of healthy food making you just feel just as good as working out.
This is a very interesting blog, and I would have to agree that exercise improves mood. I’ve noticed that when I get sad, it’s usually because I was just sitting around, being unproductive. But, if I’m being active, I feel better about myself, and have less time to think about any mistakes I’ve made. Usually after a run, I feel good that I did something productive, but, sometimes I will feel even worse if the run doesn’t go well. I wonder why the people who exercised AND had antidepressants didn’t feel good. How could the antidepressants cancel out the mood they get by exercising? So, it seems like antidepressants may be a good temporary option, but running is the overall best option for people who want to cure their depression in the long run. Also, do you think the type of exercise has an effect? Did all of the people in the exercise group do the same activity? Or were they free to do whatever they wanted? According to this website, higher levels of endorphins cause less stress and make it easier for people to handle the negative effects of stress. So, it’s likely that exercises that secrete more endorphins make people feel even better, compared to actives that secrete less.
As soon as I read the title of your blog, I knew what the answer would be from personal experience! Whenever I start to get upset or angry, I force myself to get up and do something productive. Luckily for me, the gym is practically next to my dorm so it’s easy! By working out, I am able to release any anger or tension or upset just by moving and sweating and feeling better both physically and mentally. One thing I always worried about, though, is what if I have a cold and I have been cooped up in the house all day? Is it safe for me to work out and hopefully improve my mood? Well according to this website as long as your symptoms are “all above the neck,” it’s safe for you to work out!! Just as long as you don’t go too hard! Luckily for all of us Penn State students, there is always a gym somewhere around campus. Or if you’d rather walk or jog, the campus is big enough for that too! Now that I’ve read your blog, I’ll most definitely have to keep this in mind next time I’m feeling down.
I completely support this claim that exercising puts people in a better mood. When I have been in a bad mood, I always try to work out and every time it feels like it helps. It’s truly amazing how much working out cuts depression like you said in your post. The fact that all the studies conducted that you mentioned showed the same results: working out reduces depression is pretty cool. More people should be aware of this so they can understand that just the least bit of exercise will help with depression.