I began running track and cross-country as a teenager in high school. My older sister was an exceptional athlete and I always wanted to keep up with her. I have fond memories of running the mile relay together, passing the baton to her as she began the final lap. Running started an exercise routine for me that has continued through adulthood. I exercise today for different reasons: to relieve stress and combat mood swings that seem to accompany mid-life hormonal changes, to manage my weight that slowly creeps up the scale with each passing year, and to seek to maintain normal blood pressure and cholesterol readings without medication, despite my strong family history of heart disease.
Exercise has long been recognized for its positive effects in preventing high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and a host of other diseases. But now, a growing body of research shows that exercise can improve symptoms of depression and anxiety, sometimes reducing the need for medication.
Women are twice as likely as men to suffer from depression, and women with children at home are particularly vulnerable. The demands on our time are overwhelming and the expectations we have of ourselves never end. Our “quick-fix” society looks to medication as the answer, without considering the positive effects exercise can have, and also the negative effects of many medications.
An interesting study by Duke psychologist James Blumenthal found that, “A brisk 30-minute walk or jog around the track three times a week may be just as effective in relieving the symptoms of major depression as the standard treatment of anti-depressant medications.” His findings were presented in the October 1999 issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine. When interviewed, Dr. Blumenthal further stated that, “Almost one-third of depressed patients in general do not respond to medications, and for others, the medications can cause unwanted side effects. Exercise should be considered a viable option.” In a follow-up study the next year with the same patients, researchers found that continued exercise greatly reduces the risk of depression returning, with only 8% of the patients in the exercise group relapsing.
Exercise also has positive effects on anxiety and its symptoms. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses in the United States and are steadily rising, with an estimated 40 million adults affected. Anxiety symptoms can be relieved with even short bursts of aerobic exercise. My friend, Hope, suffered from anxiety and panic attacks for many years. Her symptoms matched those of a heart attack, including heart palpitations, shortness of breath, heavy pressure on her chest, and fainting spells. With three young children at home, she says, “I felt like I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.” Upon seeing her doctor, she began taking medication to control the symptoms. She later started an exercise routine and says, “After three weeks of exercising, I was able to completely come off the medicine I was taking.” However, when she quit exercising she fell into a deep depression. She resumed exercising and now enjoys playing tennis and working out at the gym to maintain a healthy state of mind, without the need for medication.
Exercise also acts as a buffer against stress, giving you a feeling of control in your life as you rid yourself of negative emotions and assume a more relaxed mood, capable of combating the problems you’re dealing with. Dr. Steven Aldana in The Culprit and the Cure equates exercise to “a combination of psychotherapy, physical therapy, and stress management—all concentrated in one 30-minute session.” He reports on a review of 34 studies that “showed that sedentary individuals who started engaging in physical activity had a more subdued response to stressful situations.” And when we respond better to stress, we are less likely to experience the negative effects of stress, including high blood pressure, lack of sleep, or digestive problems to name a few.
So, how much exercise do we need to help us feel better? Research suggests that aerobic activity of at least 30 minutes a day three to five days a week is necessary to really make a difference with symptoms of depression, anxiety, or stress. But even exercise in smaller amounts, such as a ten-minute walk during your lunch break, can lift your mood in the short term.
With the holiday season right around the corner, it’s a great time to start an exercise program that will give you control of your health and your emotions. Call your girlfriend and go for a walk. Join a gym. Find a tennis partner. Or take part in our faith-based fitness program (www.rockrunners.org) that begins a new season at the end of October at Woodland Heights Baptist Church. I’ll be looking for you with your sneakers on!