Why Exercising Is Good If You’re Feeling Depressed
Being depressed causes us to feel lethargic. We don’t want to get up, but when we have to, we drag our bodies around in a sluggish manner. Exercising while you’re not feeling all that great doesn’t sound like the most amazing activity, but studies have shown that if you want to boost your energy, you should exercise even when you don’t feel like it.
Start improving your mental health by finding the motivation to exercise. Here are some reasons exercising is good if you’re feeling depressed to help motivate you to get up and active.
It Releases Endorphins
When you exercise, feel-good chemicals are released into your body. When you’re depressed, your body is lacking endorphins, the body’s natural pain killer. You can stimulate the production of endorphins by moving your body and increasing your heart rate. Once you get some exercise, even just a little, you’ll release endorphins that can give you a euphoric feeling.
It Helps Get Your Mind Off Of Negative Thoughts
Exercising when you’re depressed is a great distraction from your worries. When we’re in a funk, our minds seem to wander into negativity. Keep yourself busy by going out for a walk or run.
Focus on your breathing and clear your mind. Negative thoughts will feed into your depression, so even a light exercise will help reduce them.
You Can Cope In a Healthy Way
Sometimes when we’re depressed, we go straight to coping mechanisms that aren’t healthy for us. Alcohol and drugs can only make us feel better until their effects stop working. Moping around and wondering when your depression is going to go away will only worsen your symptoms.
Putting the energy you would into drinking or dwelling into exercising instead is a better and much more healthy way of coping with your mental illness. Do something positive for your health rather than negative.
You’ll Feel More Confident
If you’ve been feeling depressed because you don’t feel good about yourself, set an exercise goal or give yourself a challenge that deals with being active. Achieving those goals and challenges can not only make you feel better about your physical appearance, but it can help you gain self-confidence in your abilities.
You Can Meet People
Feeling alone and like you have nobody is a common feeling when you’re depressed. If you go to a local gym, even just a side smile from a stranger can lighten your mood immensely. Surrounding yourself with others, without even having to really speak to them if you don’t want to, can help you feel less alone.
If you’re up for exchanging conversation, it’ll help even more. Your mood can drastically change from low to high just by exercising and being around others.
You Get To Feel In Control
Depression can take over our lives, but exercising is something that you have complete control over. You decide your own goals and how you’re going to achieve them. You take an active role in your treatment by deciding to exercise.
Sometimes we allow depression to take control of us, but you can fight that by moving your body. Start light if you have to, but sooner or later, you’ll start to feel more in control of yourself and kick your depression out of here.
It’ll Help You Sleep
Ever find yourself having sleepless nights because your depression isn’t allowing you to get a good night’s rest? Sufficient sleep is extremely important for your health, both mental and physical. Tire yourself out by exercising. A walk or jog right before bed can help your body relieve the stress and anxiety that depression can cause and help you rest better.
