Harvard recently found that yes, you should fight depression with exercise. It also found that if you are depressed and have a sedentary lifestyle, you are more likely to die of a heart attack or other heart-related symptoms.But getting a move on in your life isn’t just about protecting your heart, however. It’s about your whole life.A lot of the symptoms of depression go along with a lack of exercise. Despair, lethargy, exhaustion, self-doubt, disinterest in activities.The more you laze around, the less likely you are to get up and do something. And depression exacerbates this problem.If a sedentary lifestyle creates problems for the average citizen, it will be worse for someone suffering depression symptoms.But, if you want to fight depression, you will need to find a way to get up and get motivated.There are plenty of simple small steps you can take to get yourself into a routine and on the path to healing.
Fight Depression By Starting Small
An active lifestyle doesn’t mean you have to participate in races or even run around your block every day. If you think exercise is only lifting weights, running on treadmills or racing in marathons, then you need a paradigm shift. The American Heart Association defines Moderate Exercise as activity that rates an 11-14 on twenty point scale. What constitutes an 11 on a 20 point scale? A brisk walk.
If you can find small ways to add a brisk walk into your daily routine, you’ve found a way to exercise moderately every day.
Park It Further Away
If you drive a car, you might want to know that on average, people spend 106 days of their lives looking for a parking spot.
That’s crazy! We spend over three months of our lives in search for a place to park our cars. Why do we do this? Just so we don’t have to walk. Does this sound counter-intuitive to you? It does to us. Instead of wasting time looking for a parking spot, grab the first one you see. Normally, this is far from the entrance of whatever building is your goal.
If you decide to do this not only will you decrease the amount of time you waste, you will gain an opportunity for moderate exercise. A brisk walk from one end of the parking lot does account for moderate exercise. And, if you’re worried about what people think of you, don’t worry. They’ll just think you’re trying to get in and out fast.
Take Walking Breaks
Even though smoke breaks are becoming less and less common, people still take them. If you work in an office where people routinely take smoke breaks, create your own version. A walking break! If you don’t have the motivation to do this on your own, find someone else who wants to take walking breaks.
Not only will you get to know one of your co-workers in a shorter amount of time, you will end up benefiting from the exercise. Taking a brisk walk during your work day increases your cognitive function by 60%. A full 60%! What could you do with 60% increased productivity? And, if your boss complains about your sudden interest in “walking breaks,” show them this article.
Listen To A Book Or Podcast
Some people find exercise utterly boring. And if you’re used to being stuck on a treadmill, exercise is really boring. But technology has given us this amazing thing. It’s called the earbud and mobile phone.
Your pocket computer is capable of entertaining you beyond Facebook and the internet. Who knew! Right? So many diversions exist that could help stave off the boredom of even a ten-minute brisk walk around the block.
Audible.com is a great place to find books to listen to. If you have an Amazon Prime subscription, you don’t even have to buy books from Audible. Audible has a fairly large selection of books to stream. If books aren’t your thing, the 21st-century version of talk radio might be a great alternative. Podcasts came around in the days of the iPod when people were trying to figure out how to max out their music storage devices.
Podcasts are a great way to stay informed about the world around you and keep up with popular opinion. If you listen to a podcast while you walk, you will not only increase your cognitive function, but you will learn something new. Both things that will help fight depression.
Watch Re-Runs
If you’re stuck in a nuclear bunker for the next twenty years riding out apocalypse or you are simply agoraphobic, you might want to consider watching your favorite old TV shows while treading on the mill.
But, in all seriousness, even the mild entertainment of TV can help keep you motivated to get through a ten-minute session of walking in place to help fight depression.
Music To Help Fight Depression And Get Motivated
Whole books exist on how music itself can fight depression. But it can also be a motivator. If you listen to upbeat music before you run, you might have that extra motivation to eschew the couch. Also, playing those awesome tracks while walking could increase your heart rate and help you forget that you’re exercising. And, besides, who doesn’t like having a soundtrack to their life. Pretend you’re in a sitcom or upbeat drama. You might be surprised at where your imagination takes you.
Visualize The End
One of the most effective psychological technique in the human motivation toolbox is our imagination. It’s imagination that built the greatest institutions in our world. And it’s imagination that will get you to exercise and fight depression. If you can visualize how accomplished you will feel after your brisk walk, you will be more likely to finish your walk.
Conclusion:
When you fight depression, you shouldn’t do it alone. Finding someone to help motivate you will strengthen your chances of mounting that hill of recovery.
If you’ve found ways to motivate yourself to get moving and fight depression, share them with us in the comments below. And, as always, keep on moving.