Fitness: An Antidote to Depression

” Life just seems empty. I feel lost. That just isn’t fun anymore”. These are the words of Bayo, a 20 year old young adult from western Nigeria. Bayo is fictional but depression is not. Depression also known as major depressive disorder is a mental illness that affects how you think about yourself, how you feel about yourself and how you act in your daily life. According to the World Health Organization, depression is an illness that happens worldwide, with over 264 million people affected. Responding to the world mental health survey conducted in 17 countries, an average of 1 in 20 people reported experiencing an episode of depression (WHO department of mental health and substance abuse, 2012). Depression as an illness is characterized by signs such as feeling sad a lot, loss of appetite, difficulty concentrating, low self worth, difficulty sleeping, panic attacks and anxiety, frequent thoughts of death or suicide, loss of energy and fatigue among many other symptoms. Depression can lead to suicide. Approximately 1 million people kill themselves every year globally. That amounts to 3000 suicide deaths every day. For every person who completes a suicide, 20 others or more may attempt to end their lives. However , Recent research have yielded some promising findings in dealing with this terrible mental condition.

A recent study at the National Center for biotechnological information , USA, has uncovered several astonishing facts on the effectiveness of exercise and physical fitness in the treatment of depression. The study found that exercise can be moderately helpful in treating mild depression in adults. Hence exercise can be considered an effective treatment four depression when combined with other treatments. With this in mind, it is helpful to begin exercising as a treatment both in the short-term and long-term by following these steps:

Start with simple activities like household tasks to build confidence and motivation for harder ones.

Combine Yoga With Other mindfulness based stress reduction techniques to feel even better

Going for a run in the morning or a walk daily helps regulate moody symptoms of depression.

A careful and moderately intensive weightlifting plan goes a long way to lift low mood and provide a sense of accomplishment and purpose. A long term weightlifting plan preferably with an instructor with experience with working with depressed people.

Socialize and stay connected with friends and family

Do the things you enjoy doing including the ones you used to enjoy. with time they will become enjoyable again

Plan a daily routine- the things you do when you wake up Ant the things you do for that day.

In conclusion, depression is a treatable condition and a manageable one. Proper medical advice Ant adequate psychotherapy as well as medical prescriptions is necessary before engaging in any of the steps outlined above so as to ensure maximum effectiveness.