There have been a number of studies showing that frequent exercise can reduce feelings of depression. But can just a single exercise session improve your mood? According to a new study, it can.
Researchers from Austin, Texas found that they could help ease the symptoms of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) simply by getting them on a treadmill. Researchers subjected 40 patients who were diagnosed with MDD — and who were currently taking medication for it — to a test. The patients were either told to exercise at 60 to 70% of their maximum heart rate or sit down for a quiet rest. Both sessions lasted for 30 minutes.
As you can imagine, both practices helped the patients to some degree. Both groups felt their distress levels, depression, fatigue, tension, confusion, and anger levels drop considerably. But there was also a big difference between the two groups. The exercise group had experienced improvements in two areas where the patients who had taken a quiet rest had failed to see improvement.
Exercise seemed to actually improve the patients’ sense of well-being (in a positive way), and it also improved their energy and enthusiasm. Their good feelings also lasted longer than the good feelings for those in the quiet rest group did.
This means that while both quiet rests and moderate- intensity workouts help patients deal with depression, a 30- minute bout of exercise is better at improving overall mood.
So, next time you’re feeling down, try getting on your treadmill for half an hour or going outside for a jog. The exercise will help boost your endorphins. You should start noticing an improvement in your mood right away. It may be hard to muster the will to exercise when you’re depressed, but it will be worth getting off the couch for the end result. Give it a try!
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Tags: exercise, health secrets
