Joy :

Accompanying depression is something called anhedonia. Anhedonia is the inability to feel joy. It’s one of the core symptoms of depression. Depression not only saps your motivation but it also saps your ability to feel happiness. My patients often look at me incredulously when I encourage them to engage in more activities. The act of engaging in activities may be difficult at first, but as they begin to consistently add activity like exercise back into their lives, the emotional shackle of anhedonia starts to disappear. Regular exercise will aid in reclaiming the joy in life.

There are different levels and severity of depression. It is important to understand that exercise tends to work best in patients with mild to moderate depression. Severe depression is a very serious condition and should be treated under the care of a mental health professional. There is not much evidence to suggest that exercise is beneficial to patients in the midst of a severe depression.

Depression is a disease and while exercise can be a very effective treatment, it has its best effect when used as an addition to traditional treatments such as medicine and therapy.

The benefits of exercise listed above are not just seen in people in the grip of mild to moderate depression. Exercise is a powerful preventive strategy for mental health. It’s well known that regular exercisers are happier, have more energy, sleep better, have more sex and are better socialized then non-exercisers. We often focus on the physical transformation that exercise can bring – the mind and the body are connected and as the body improves so does the mind.