Do you exercise?

[PPercival]

Those who are feeling low/depressed, do you do any exercise?

I've been up and down the past year, had quite a few therapies until March last year but stopped as I could no longer afford it.

My friend thinks exercise takes a big part in depression, and come to think of it I've hardly exercises in the past year. I'm constantly tired, low in mood, want to be on my own etc.

I'd be interested to know about your experiences with exercise and whether or not it has affected your MH in a positive way. Would also like to know what you tried.

Also has anyone tried meditation?

For me exercise has massively helped me get over trauma (losing parents / tragic circumstances) and also helps lift my mood when I have ‘low’ days. Also helps with other things like stress , problems at work wax becuase it really helps clear your head. Try a few things out and see what works for you . For example it could be running, a class, a Zumba - type dance class, or tennis ?

I do three different things, all of which help in different ways.

1. High impact aerobics-type classes - so hard and busy it switches my brain off. All I do is follow instructions

1. Heavy weights - very intensive and requires all my concentration.

1. Dog walking with a podcast - out in nature, all weathers, something interesting in my ears.

To add:

I get twitchy without it. I do it separate to, and also in conjunction, with meds.

Weights and dog walks allow me to be on my own but with purpose, and I come home happier and more able to deal with family and work

Yes, exercise is absolutely crucial to my MH. I go for a long walk every day. I do a big hike every weekend and I do Yoga.

Yes every day. Exercise is so important for mental health. I swim and go to the gym daily sometimes twice a day!

Ecervise hugely helps me even if it is a walk rather than anything strenuous. I meditate but if you have depression and/or anxiety I recommend learning with a teacher, as otherwise it can make it worse. I learned Transcendental Meditation and try to practice regularly. It makes a difference when I do.

Walking has helped a lot with my mental health. A daily 2-3 mile walk clears my head, tires me so I can sleep better and has helped me lose weight and become fitter. I did couch25k but I'm not a natural runner and didn't really enjoy it or find it relaxing. The dog loves it too although I often walk him first and then have "my" walk where I listen to a podcast or just enjoy the quiet where I live. Without having to carry a bag of poo most of the way!

Everyone I know who runs (including me) does it for their mental health more than their physical health. When I run I sleep better and it really helps control my anxiety. Getting started and persevering when you begin is HARD though especially when feeling low. Start small and notice that you are achieving little bits.. I did it with a buddy and that helped. The thing that makes me put my running shoes on now and go out when it’s cold and dark is knowing that if I don’t I will go nowhere good in my head really fast. I also life heavy weights once a week and that is weirdly grounding and calming. I don’t enjoy it much but I miss it terribly if I don’t do it. Good luck x

Exercising the first factor in the morning may be difficult, mainly in case you want to set the alarm great early to address it before work. However, as soon as you realize the numerous advantages of running in the morning, it would make it only a little simpler to stop hitting snooze, get out of bed, and lace up

My own personal experience is that if I'm everyday stressed, feeling annoyed at someone or something, or anxious about a deadline, exercise helped me feel calmer and put it in perspective.

However, when I had episodes of depression and bipolar, I walked a lot and worked out daily including a daily yoga and it didn't help my mental health as I was still suicidal and empty. My own experience is that exercise is well and good but some mental health conditions need a lot more than exercise to stabilise.

I am sure there are athletes who still battle with mental illness and suicide ideation despite working out for hours everyday and doing something that is supposedly their passion and purpose. I think serious mental crisis are beyond a little run or walk in the park.

@Ru4realz this is my experience of bipolar as well. If the underlying mood is happening, it is happening, and no amount of walking/running etc will help. But I do enjoy exercise and it probably helps with my low level depression until it spikes.

Yes, for me exercise is a huge help. I walk every day, used to go to the gym and swim. I try and exercise every day.

In my physically fittest time I had horrible hallucinations and was hearing voices. I was very ill despite working out and being in the healthiest shape of my life. The voices were loudest when I ran actually. I did some damage to my ears playing music so loud while I worked out to drawn the noise. I've been happy and not worked out much and I've been ill and worked out daily.

Yes I started running for my physical health but I run now for my mental health. I’ve started seeing a counsellor recently and he has said that escapism is my coping strategy and running is one of the ways I deal with things- by escaping for that 30 minutes and only having to concentrate on breathing and running.

Long walks with my dog definitely helped to get me through a suicidal breakdown. I find meditation tends to make me more anxious and obsessive but it's all very individual. I hope you find something that helps you 🙂

Yes, I run for mental and physical health, and I dip/swim in cold water for mental health. For me it's not just the exercise but being outdoors in nature that helps.