Walk away from depression

As our daily challenges increase and we find it more difficult to cope, many of us experience bouts of depression. Getting involved in physical activity is a good way to improve our mental and physical health. Research shows that people who exercise are less likely to be depressed. Researchers have also demonstrated, in randomised controlled trials, that depressed adults who participated in aerobic exercise improved as much as those who were treated with antidepressants. Exercise actually boosts our mood.

Research in molecular biology and neurology has also shown that exercise alters our brain chemistry in much the same way that antidepressants regulate our key neurotransmitters serotonin and noradrenaline. Serotonin increases our perception of fatigue while the noradrenaline increases our muscle metabolism and blood glucose regulation to counter the symptoms of depression.

Brain activity

Neuroscientist's have shown that exercising over a period of several weeks can switch on certain genes that increase the brain's ability to produce neurotransmitters that tone down our body's stress response by regulating our supply of noradrenaline.

Exercise conditions our brain to show less stress in response to potentially threatening experiences. A little mental strain and excess stimulation from exercise can help us put day-to-day problems in perspective and resolve them more successfully.

It is apparent that being physically active is more desirable than being sedentary. Our brain functions better when it is stimulated by the events of physical activity such as increased blood flow, inclusive of increased oxygen availability and the removal of carbon dioxide, increased electrical impulses and the respective neurohormones that facilitate brain activity. Physical activity is used quite liberally in the treatment of anxiety-related disorders and even in drug addiction which is linked to depression.

Boosts hormone production

Exercise also boosts the production of hormones that support the growth and maintenance of brain cells. This helps to repair brain atrophy in depressed people and eliminates the related symptoms. When we exercise and get our heart rate up, or work up a sweat, and we get an immediate mood lift, that motivates people who are depressed. When the signs of depression are imminent, get into a physical-activity mode, as quickly as possible, to prevent them.

For all the potential benefits of exercise, the main questions are: How much exercise do we need? How long should we exercise? The familiar 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activities such as walking five times each week, or 30 minutes of high-intensity aerobic exercise, three times each week, are the standard recommendations. Even though this is the recommendation for physical fitness, it can also be used to initiate a prescription to counter depression.

Dr Kenneth Gardner is an exercise physiologist at Holiday Hills Research Center; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.