Nobody doubts the benefits of exercise for physical health. What isn’t as widely known or discussed is how essential moderate exercise is to our mental wellbeing.  I created an online survey which sought to find out what health strategies helped people who have experienced an episode of depression or anxiety to bounce back from setbacks. I took a holistic approach, and asked people to evaluate the effectiveness of strategies such as exercise, good rest, good nutrition, emotional support from family, friends, and support groups, fulfilling work, hobbies, charity work, as well as traditional approaches like psychological counselling and medication. In all, over 60 strategies were evaluated, and 4080 respondents were asked to rate those they had tried. Exercise was in the top three.

Research shows that a 30 minute brisk walk (or equivalent) significantly improves your mood after 2, 4, 8, and 12 hours compared to those that don’t exercise (Mayo Clinic 2008). Exercise also boosts energy, confidence, and sexual desirability (American Fitness, 19 (6), 32-36).

We can’t control the slings and arrows that come our way on a daily basis, but we can control our daily habits. Incorporating moderate exercise into our day can inoculate us from the prolonged effects of a setback.

Why don’t people exercise?

People typically nominate two main reasons:

· I don’t feel like it – this is particularly applicable to people who are discouraged and/or depressed.

· I don’t have the time – our relentless 24/7 life usually means there are a thousand things to say “yes” to. An essential element of a thriving life is saying “no” to the trivial many, so that you can say “yes” to the vital few. Exercise is definitely in the latter category.

Principles to make exercise central to your life

Find something you enjoy – To sustain regular exercise, it is important to do something that you find pleasant. The traffic in gyms are 30-50% higher in January than other times of the year, as people are suddenly inspired to get fit and lose weight. By March, they have returned to normal levels. It’s not wise to sign up for a gym if you hate them!

I like walking because it allows me to get amongst nature, it’s free, and you can do it anyplace and anytime. Some people keep a walking journal so that they can write down the new things they see, hear, and smell each day. This keeps you present. If you prefer swimming, dancing, cycling, boot camps, or hiring a personal trainer, then do that. To experience the mood enhancement qualities of exercise it is recommended to do 30 minutes, 6 days per week. Although people with depression often don’t feel like exercising, it is important to go against that inclination.

Have modest goals – many people believe that to get the benefits of exercise you have to spend 2 hours in the gym or run a marathon. As highlighted above, this is simply not true. If you have been doing no exercise, start with 15 minutes per day. If you are catatonic and spending all day in bed, just getting out to the letter box each day is a good start that you can build on. Build activity gradually.

Introduce rituals – As highlighted with the gym traffic trends above, changing behaviour requires more than intention. To make it stick, it is essential to introduce daily rituals that prompt the behaviour. For example, rituals could include:

· Laying your clothes out each night when you go to bed so that when you wake up you can dress without thinking and head off.

· As you brush your teeth each morning, put on a pedometer. When you brush at night, take it off and record the steps taken.

· Set a regular time to walk with a friend or work colleagues. Consider walking meetings.

· Consider using a free smart phone app like FitnessPal, which allows you to monitor your exercise and your calorie consumption.

Begin it now.

Graeme Cowan is the author of BACK FROM THE BRINK TOO: Helping your loved one overcome depression, which was SANE Australia’s 2009 Book of the Year – www.IamBackFromTheBrink.com . He went through a 5 year episode of depression which his psychiatrist described as the worst he had ever treated. He now speaks and consults about how to inspire the discouraged to bounce back and thrive. Over 40 free resources can be found at www.Facebook.com/BackFromTheBrink

Tags: back from the brink, Bounce Back, depression treatments, graeme cowan, mood enhancers, natural depression treatments, robust mental health, thrive

I was recently approached by Susan White, a researcher and writer, who asked if she could write a guest blog. When I looked at some of her articles, I was impressed with how she had found some excellent resources on the net for the subjects she was researching.

For regular readers of this blog you’ll know that I am a strong advocate of regular exercise for anyone, but particularly if you have been living with a mood disorder. The evidence is overwhelming; exercise is the best self help strategy for those of us that are susceptible to depression. I decided to challenge Susan to find some helpful websites to stay with a regular exercise program. So without further introduction, here they are.

10 Websites That Can Help You Stick to Your Exercise Program

Along with a sensible diet, it is probably the most important contributor to good health, and without exercise to substantiate and augment your choice of healthy food, you’re not doing the best you can to promote your health. A good diet provides you with energy and nutrients to get on with life, and exercise improves your wellness quotient by augmenting your physical and mental health, improving bone and muscle strength, boosting blood circulation, and keeping you fit and strong. The problem with exercise is that most people have trouble sticking to their routine; laziness sets in or work takes priority, and sooner or later, working out is relegated to the wayside. If you want some inspiration and motivation to help you stick to your exercise program, look no further than these websites:

1.      Everyday Health: This is a great place for people whose busy schedules don’t allow them to follow strict and time-bound exercise programs. It teaches you how to take advantage of everyday activities to boost your health and get your daily dose of exercise.

2.      Mayo Clinic: Get information from a trusted online source on why exercise is important for you and why it must form a part of your life.

3.      Mama’s Health: This site has a comprehensive yet precise overview of the various dangers caused by the lack of exercise. When you don’t work out, you tend to become overweight and even obese, and this could cause significant health issues.

4.      Living Health: If you’re worried about accidental injuries when working out, check out this site for safety tips when working out – find out the best ways to exercise without causing harm to your body.

5.      About Exercise: If you’re on vacation and worried about gaining weight because of all the good food you’re eating and the visible lack of exercise, this site offers great tips and tricks on how to work in a workout into your vacation.

6.      Essortment: If you’re stuck at home with no access to a gym or park, find out how you can continue working out at home with these great exercise programs.

7.      Medicine Net: Sidelined by an injury and worried you’re going to gain weight because you cannot exercise? Check out this site for safe ways to work out when you’re incapacitated by illness or injury.

8.      Web MD: Pregnant and worried about unnecessary weight gain and the wellbeing of your unborn child? Go here to find out how you can exercise safely when you’re expecting and stay healthy in the process.

9.      Workout Mommy: The best way for new moms to lose weight is to start exercising as soon as your doctor says it’s ok to start working out; and if you’re looking for ideas and tips on the fastest and safest ways to lose weight, this site offers great advice.

10.  Senior Fitness Suite: As you age, it becomes harder to maintain the intensity of your workout program; you’re worried about your safety and fitness. Continue to work out with no worries with tips and advice on senior fitness from this website.

Exercise is an integral aspect to a healthy life, so ensure that you stick to your workout routine without providing room for excuses.

By-line:

This article is contributed by Susan White, who regularly writes on the subject of surgical technician schools. She invites your questions, comments at her email address: susan.white33@gmail.com.

I’ve checked out the websites and they do all have a great perspective on different elements of maintaining exercise.

I also wanted to add two sites myself:

SparkPeople.com is a free online diet and healthy living community with over 3 million members who provide support and motivation to each other. I first saw an article on this in Fortune Magazine described as the “Facebook for dieters”. It boasts some very impressive results and is entirely free. There is a lot of social support to help you achieve your goals.

FitDay Another free site which I have heard very good things about. A friend of mine is writing a weight loss book and she rates this very highly.

Navigating a meaningful life

I truly believe that we all have wonderful strengths and gifts, and by using these for the benefit of others (and ourselves), we can have a wonderful life. I am presenting two seminars about how I believe this is possible for everyone – unfortunately only in the Sydney area – but if there is enough interest we may look at presenting it in a webinar format. It is hosted by my friends the Brahma Kumaris – there is no set cost – you are invited to make a donation.

Saturday September 11, 10.30am- 4pm Wilton – a beautiful retreat about 1 hour south west from Sydney CBD. Register here

Wednesday September 15, 6.00pm- 8.00pm – East Sydney – City Fringe Meditation Space

Register at  eastsydney@au.bkwsu.org

If you have tried any of the exercise sites or ideas above please let us know how you found them. Likewise, if you have found something that works for you, please let us know by responding to this blog.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: back from the brink, depression anxiety, depression help, depression research, depression treatments, exercise and depression, graeme cowan, self help

From personal experience I know how hard it is to exercise when you are struggling with depression. On some days I was struggling to get out of bed and the thought of getting dressed and out the front door seemed like an impossibility.

I now know that having regular exercise is the most effective depression treatment

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t say that exercise is the only strategy to pursue - just the most important. It is not just me saying that - over 3000 people from both the Ultrafeedback and the Blackdog Institute survey results said the same thing. For a free copy of the most effective depression treatments research report please go to:

http://www.iambackfromthebrink.com/landing4.html

We don’t know exactly why this is so, but I have a hypothesis that it comes down to two main factors:

1. Exercise stimulates the feel good endorphins in the brain and also gets you out of the rut of being inside all the time.
2. Completing some task each day provides a sense of achievement.

It doesn’t really matter why it makes you feel better - just do what works.

So how do we start doing something so good for us that we don’t feel like doing?

Feelings aren’t facts is a www.grow.net.au saying and when we are depressed we often have to go against those lethargic and hopeless feelings.

It’s not a simple process, but let me share what I have found after talking with hundreds of people on this topic. I know there is something substantial in this as some pharmaceutical companies are already seeking to duplicate the effect exercise has on the body by creating a new pill to take!!!!!!!!!

7 thoughts on getting started

1. Find something you (or used to) enjoy doing - quite frankly it doesn’t matter what type of exercise you pursue - walking, jogging, dancing, cycling, rollerblading, swimming, treadmill, exercising the dog, cross country skiing etc - to be regular it is important to do something you enjoy.
2. Start small - a big mistake many people make is the belief they have to exercise for two hours each day to make a difference. When you are depressed you want “whisker goals” not “stretch goals”. If you are stuck in bed or watching TV all day - for the first week decide to put on your walking shoes and just get out to the letter box. Once you’re there you may decide to walk further but you don’t have to - all you have to do is get out to front gate. Alternatively, if you are stuck in front of the TV decide to put on a timer for 5 minutes and walk up and down on the spot until the timer goes off - you get the idea. If you are not as incapacitated by your depression set yourself a “just right” goal - not too hard not too easy. I started walking 15 minutes per day and then over a period of 4 weeks built it up to 40 minutes per day.
3. Just start - believe me just starting the exercise is 70% of the effort.
4. Resolve to exercise everyday but don’t beat yourself up if you don’t I started off exercising every second day but often couldn’t remember if I had done it the previous day or not. Believe it or not I found it easier to exercise 6 days a week and give myself Sunday off - what a pleasure it was to sleep in on those days. If you don’t make it everyday - don’t beat yourself up - we do far too much of that when we are depressed any way - just accept it and resolve to recommence tomorrow.
5. Consider exercising with a loved one or group Many people find it hard to exercise themselves but find it really difficult to let a friend or family member down. For some reason there is a greater commitment when it is with loved ones. The other benefit of exercising with others is that it also becomes a social activity which can help the problem of isolation.
6. Try to be in the moment when you exercise - observe flowers, plants, insects, birds, animals, noises, smells, etc when you are walking. Some people keep a walking journal and describe being relatively free of rumination when they are concentrating on what they are going to be writing about when they return.
7. Don’t be afraid to mix and match if you get sick of walking for example don’t be afraid to try something else like learn a martial art, or join a gym. Some people utilise a trainer to help provide the variety.

Be gentle on yourself - It is not how many times we stumble but how many times we get up and keep trying that will determine our fulfillment and sense of well being.

What has been your experience?

We have a wealth of wisdom amongst our members. What has been your experience with exercise? What have you found helpful to get over that lethargic feeling and start? How do you keep going when you get bored or don’t feel like it? Please share it by responding to the blog below. You only need to put your first name and email address (which won’t be published).

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: depression help, depression treatments, exercise for depression, how to start exercising, most effective depression treatments

With a new year in front of us we always wish that it will be better than the last year. Whilst many of the people who review this blog have depression and just want to get over it, I think dwelling too much on what you don’t want rather than what you do want can be counter productive.

Focus on what you do want

The science of happiness has shown us that contented people regularly set goals for themselves (see previous entries). Whilst the thought of this for someone with depression often seems particularly onerous, I believe that it has many advantages.

My experience with goal setting

During a depression outpatient course at I completed at Northside clinic, I was encouraged to set weekly goals around exercise and contact with family and friends. We not only had to write these down but we had to schedule them into a diary and report back to others on our progress the next week. I found that although I often didn’t feel like it, I would often force myself to get out of bed and go for a walk. I inevitably felt better after having taken the walk. The same applied to my contact with family and friends. It is very common to want to isolate when depressed, but like the exercise, I often felt better having made the effort to meet with loved ones. Of course I was also seeing my psychiatrist as well and found  a medication that also seemed to help. Eventually this goal setting involved leisure activity and meditation and finally it progressed to doing voluntary work and then writing “BACK FROM THE BRINK”.

After some time to reflect, I began to realise that I was seeking 3 outcomes in life:

1. Physical and mental vitality
2. Good relationships with support, fun and intimacy
3. A career that enabled me to contribute and prosper

I decided that I would set weekly goals around these 3 outcomes: vitality, intimacy, and prosperity. When you have depression, I think a week is as far as you want to look ahead and most of the time you should be trying to live one day at a time.

Vitality

By far the most important aspect of this is regular exercise. How much? 30 minutes brisk walk (or equivalent) 6 days per week. Eating well is also extremely important and this should involve lots of fruit and vegetables, omega 3, and low levels of fatty foods. As my health improved I also embraced meditation and continue to do it twice a day, every day.

I also include in this category regualr contact with doctors and psychologists. It is also important to limit alcohol consumption.

Some of the fun things here are sport, hobbies, movies, travel etc.

Intimacy

As my physical health improved I began investing much more time into my relationships, and began to yield the benefits from that. I realised that in my past I often let career come before relationships and realised what I mistake that was. I have come to realise how important having strong relationships are for your mental health. I also joined GROW, a 12 step support group which was wonderful. The mutual support is priceless.

Prosperity

The final part of my recovery came from finding out what I really wanted to do with my career. Whilst I had enjoyed my early career in marketing and human resources, I was really seeking something outside of the mainstream corporate environment. I began doing some volunteer work with Volunteering NSW, helping to place prospective volunteers into the right roles. I saw how people’s self esteem lifted substantially when they found fulfilling work. Eventually things evolved where I began writing my books and speaking about overcoming depression and turning around lifes difficulties. I truly love my work now.

Yearly goals

At the start of each year I now set goals under each of these three categories. Each week I determine what I’m going to do to help make these happen. If ever everything seems too much I give priority to goals in the order nominated: vitality, intimacy and then prosperity.

I really believe that we all have unique gifts to contribute to the world and are capable of very happy and fulfilling lives. Does that mean that I will be forever immune to depression? No it doesn’t, but I try to focus on what I do want rather than what I don’t want.

If you have any comments about setting new year goals, please respond to this blog.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: depression, depression treatments, new year goals, resolutions

Please see this You Tube clip on the most important thing you can do to overcome depression. Sorry that we sound a little like Darth Vader - I’m still learning to drive this technology.

In research I did for BFTB, nutrition was rated the sixth most effective strategy for managing/overcoming depression (after exercise, support of family and friends, psychological counselling, fulfilling work, and relaxation/meditation. The subject was raised in my awareness with books like “Potatoes not Prozac” but increasingly we are seeing research and books coming out with compelling arguments for the effectiveness of lifestyle strategies (several have been covered in recent News and Blog posts on www.IamBackFromTheBrink.com)

A colleague based in the UK has recently brought to my attention the MIND website. MIND is the leading mental health charity in the UK and the site contains some very practical advice regarding food and mood disorders. See:  http://www.mind.org.uk/Information/Booklets/Mind+guide+to/Mindguidetofoodandmood.htm#Useful_organisations 

I encourage you to review the above webpage as it is covered quite succinctly in a question and answer format. For those that don’t have the time I’ll cut to the chase on good nutrition for mental health:

6-8 glasses of water per day (stay close to the WC)

Max 2 cups of coffee per day

5 serves of fruit/vegetables (starchy products like potato and sweet potato don’t count.

Oily fish (high in omega 3)

Lean protein

Wholemeal bread

Looks a lot like a healthy diet for physical wellbeing - just goes to show how closely the two are linked.

My personal opinion is that you can’t rely on any one strategy for overcoming depression but if you are serious about making progress, good nutrition is something you can’t ignore. If you are aware of any other evidence of the benefits of good nutrition in mood disorders, please let me know.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: depression, diet, mood disorders, nutrition, prozac

I recently spoke with Felice Jacka, who is doing her PhD at the University of Melbourne on the role of nutrition in mood disorders. She showed me a slide which I found very compelling. On one axis was the percentage incidence of depression in that country and on the other axis was the kg per capita of fish consumed in that country. There certainly appeared to be a direct correllation between these two. Countries like Japan, who eat a lot of fish had a very low rate of depression and countries like New Zealand who don’t have much seafood in their diet have a high rate of depression.

I have been taking Omega 3 supplements for about 2 years. I don’t believe that this is the total solution to depression but the evidence certainly looks very promising as a supplementary strategy with no side effects.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: depression, mood disorder, nutrition, seafood

Those that know will have heard how passionate I am about the role exercise can play can overcoming depression. This isn’t just based on anecdotal evidence although there is plenty of that. In a study I did for BFTB interviewing 300 people, exercise was rated the most successful strategy in overcoming depression. In a study the Blackdog Institute did at a similar time of 2962 people , exercise was also the most effective strategy for overcoming depression. On my main main website www.IamBackFromTheBrink.com you will find an excellent recent story from the MAYO clinc in the NEWS section on this topic.

I was also fortunate enough to talk at Meadowbank TAFE this week. The Community Health students organised a wonder “Mental Health Day” and there were people there from The Blackdog Institute and other mental health services. I think it is wonderful these topics are starting to be spoken about in this environment.

In the coming couple of weeks I am speaking at a Lifeline fundraising dinner on Friday May 30th in Sydney, the Brahma Kumaris at Ashfield Sydney on Sunday June 1 and at the Uniting Church in Forster, NSW on Monday June 2, and Dee Why, NSW SWAP on Tuesday 10 June.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: