Lived Experience Forum

[AnyHelp]

My Dr has always said that the treatment of depression is a three part process being medication, counselling and exercise. I am really interested to hear if people find that exercise makes a significant difference. I am about to undertake daily walking for this reason. Thanks

[Mosaic]

Hi @AnyHelp 🙂

Great question. I think many members on here enjoy incorporating exercise into their week. Sometimes members discuss it in the Night Shift thread, which you might like to check out.

@Former-Member @Former-Member @Shaz51 @Faith-and-Hope @Mazarita or any other members who have given exercise a go - Feel free to jump in and share a bit about your goals/achievements/setbacks etc if you like. 

@AnyHelp Daily walking sounds like a great exercise for mental health - good for mind, body and soul! What time of day do you think you'll aim to do your walking?

[pip]

Dear AnyHelp. Sounds like a great idea to me. I am recovering from surgery for breast cancer. I was told today by the physiotherapist to walk. If you sing while you walk, you're actually walking too slow. If you only talk during walking, you're walking at the correct pace. Mind you, if you're walking alone, I wouldn't recommend singing, talking anyway. If you have a set of head phones and can listen to music go for it. Walk at the pace you're comfortable with. Try taking note of birds, your surroundings etc. Best of luck, hopefully you will manage your depression. Depression can be soul-destroying if it is not treated. Keep up with the counselling and the AD's. .

[Faith-and-Hope]

Hi @AnyHelp

I am in the unfortunate position of having a husband deep in denial with an eating disorder, with perhaps something else underlying that ie depr session, anxiety disorder, believe he has ocd from his long-term workaholism .... definitely walking is one of my strategies for continuing to live with this.

Wothout it I think I would be struggling to manage circumstantial depression and anxiety issues, especially as a degree of emotional dysregulation is one of hubby's issues - although which came first I can't tell you ....

I walk a set of different paths, depending on the time I have available and what I feel like on the day.  Some are longer than others.  Most are along the river.  Most encounter a coffee shop along the way, so I can grab a coffee in hand as I go, or sit in if its raining and the walk is short for that reason.

Walking helps our body system to regulate the hormones which contribute to mood control, and helps us function better generally.  The fresh air is good for the same reasons, and it is distracting .... you meet other people, engage your senses in other sights and sounds, and perhaps most importantly, the issues do not have centre stage for the whole day.  Life doesn't have to be all about the issues.  Walking reminds us that we have feet and legs.  We have lungs.  We have ears and eyes, the ability to smile at others, maybe more for them that us at times, but it is a form of giving that is good for the soul too ....

Walk on ..... walk strong ..... and headphones are my best walking partner ❣

[NikNik]

Hi @AnyHelp

Great to meet you 🙂

It might be worth checking out the discussion Exercise and goal setting 

Hope you find the forums helpful and we continue to see you around 🙂

[butterfly101]

I love walking also just sitting somewhere peacful

[BlueBay]

While I was in hospital i spoke to a nurse and she suggested that I keep up with my walking. i told her i had no motivation and she suggesgted i start with 5 mins for a while then slowly increase the time.  She said not to start the bar too high otherwise i will fail and that is worse.

So now i am trying to walk daily for 20-30 mins. And some days if i feel like walking more i will; if not i walk less.  At least i am doing some form of exercise. And i know it does help me feel a bit better walking. I am sure that once i do this daily i will be in a routine and continue. And if it rains slightly i will still walk - we did while in hospital. the walking group walked on a rainy day and i said no way i am not walking in the rain - but then i decided no i am going - it ws the best walk in the light rain.

Exercise no matter how little changes our mind, our thinking. It gives us a good feeling.

[Rachelle]

Hello @AnyHelp

I think that would be a great idea as I am a regular walker myself, walking anywhere from 20 mins to 1 1/2 hours per day sometimes. The best thing is you can start off as small as you like. I have been doing this for about a year. I find it clears my thoughts and allows me to concentrate better and improves my cognitive skills. I enjoy it so much that sometimes I walk for miles.

Admittedly, sometimes my drive and motivation to exercise leaves me a bit though. I definitely find that as a result my head is less clear when I don't walk, and my mood is a bit flat. Don't be discouraged if you're a bit like me and start an exercise regime and then stop for a while, because you can always start again. I find that I improve and last longer each time, this time I have been successful at keeping it up!

But yes, to answer your question, I really do think that walking or any exercise for that matter can help with depression (it certainly puts me in a better mood when I do walk anyway) and its the type of exercise that you can do alone or with others. It is an all-over body toner and helps with weighloss too. I love walking and I think its one of the best forms of exercise.

I also go the gym and do the group classes such as zumba, and body areobics. I used to find going to the classes hard because I have anxiety and used to like exercising alone but now I really enjoy that too.

Hope that was helpful. All the best.

[mani]

Hi There,

As we speak I'm coming off anti-depressant medication for depression (I also suffer from anxiety) that I have been on for 2 years. Exercise helps me alot. I'm going for 5k walks outside to ease the withdrawal symptoms this week + acupunture and meditation. Exercise forms my treatment plan. I do yoga 3 times a week and the gym 2-3 times a week. I also surf in the summer. (Although there was a time when I couldn't even walk I was so deep in depression). At the moment I'm having to be really gentle on my self as I withdraw from my SSRI so lots of walking meditation, sitting meditation, eating well (I'm a vegan so eat pretty good anyway) and daily walks. What works for me is having a tool box to go to with a range of natural resources for however I'm feeling (I also read/ do poetry and origami). But I really find exercise gets me out of a slump. I would suggest walking meditation as a start- if your curious look into Thich Nanh Hanh who talks about walking meditation. We're all different so what works for me mighn't work for you but I wish you all the very best with your recovery.

[Faith-and-Hope]

As someone whose husband has lost the edge with exercise ..... walking is great ..... its fantasic for managing mood and health .... just please, please don't overdo it ....

Excessive exercise addiction is a nightmare. Balance is key, and if you're not sure, check with your health professionals .....

Excessive, gruelling except use can give you a mood high, but it's a honey-trap .....

Easy does it ....

🌷💕