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A new study looks at how exercise can help alleviate anxiety and depression

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Re: A new study looks at how exercise can help alleviate anxiety and depression

#261

Post by ant_li0n »

lethologica wrote: post #83

I’ve had major clinical depression for the last 15 years or so. The first 4 months of this year was the lowest I’ve ever been. During that time though I was going to the gym 6 days a week doing weight lifting and then I would cycle 50km a day on top of that. All of it was on autopilot however, my depression just wouldn’t allow me to focus on anything but it. Luckily I had been building up the habit for years in advan…

Yeah, same here. I don't exercise as much as you - 3, maybe 4 times a week - but yeah, it doesn't help. Sure, it feels good right when you're doing it (sometimes, hah), but the feeling doesn't persist. Some days, I actually feel worse emotionally after exercise.

I agree with you about therapy and medication: in my experience, they are the only things that work. Expensive though.

As a side note, I sort of feel triggered by this kind of article.

Depressed? Have you:

- exercised enough?

- drank enough water?

- slept enough?

- meditated enough?

- gotten outside enough?

It's passed as "helpful advice" by well-meaning people but always makes me feel like I'm not "enough". If I've done all those things but I'm still depressed, I must not have done those things "enough". Does that make sense? I'm so tired of trying to explain how hard I'm working, I just don't talk about it with people for fear they'll bring out "the list" of things I ought to be doing, and I'll have to explain that, yes, I get 8 hours of sleep a night. Yes, I drink a gallon of water a day. Etc.

Re: A new study looks at how exercise can help alleviate anxiety and depression

#262

Post by taeric »

I would fully expect that exercise done socially would have direct mental benefits. Even if it is just having someone to exchange hello. Indeed, the suggestion of an "exercise buddy" seems lined up in that direction.

I am interested in knowing if my thinking on the benefits of socializing are out of date, on this.

Re: A new study looks at how exercise can help alleviate anxiety and depression

#263

Post by escapedmoose »

ant_li0n wrote: post #261
lethologica wrote: post #83

I’ve had major clinical depression for the last 15 years or so. The first 4 months of this year was the lowest I’ve ever been. During that time though I was going to the gym 6 days a week doing weight lifting and then I would cycle 50km a day on top of that. All of it was on autopilot however, my depression just wouldn’t allow me to focus on anything but it. Luckily I had been building up the habit for years in advan…

Yeah, same here. I don't exercise as much as you - 3, maybe 4 times a week - but yeah, it doesn't help. Sure, it feels good right when you're doing it (sometimes, hah), but the feeling doesn't persist. Some days, I actually feel worse emotionally after exercise. I agree with you about therapy and medication: in my experience, they are the only things that work. Expensive though. As a side note, I sort of feel trigger…

You could probably turn those questions right around on people: have they meditated “enough” recently? Are they getting 8 hours of sleep and going outside regularly? My bet is that they’re not, and yet if they’re not depressed… well maybe there’s something else going on!

Re: A new study looks at how exercise can help alleviate anxiety and depression

#264

Post by wholinator2 »

roel_v wrote: post #259
armada651 wrote: post #244

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This distinction between non-religious and atheist is new to me and sounds like an Americanism. Over here in Europe if you don't believe in a god you're an atheist, simple as that. Some people are agnostic, meaning they are religious but don't subscribe to a particular god or doctrine. However no one makes the distinction between atheism and non-religious that you're making here. It may have something to do with the…

Uh no, not in 'Europe'. Where I am in Europe, 'atheism' is being convinced there is no god. Agnosticism is not knowing whether there is a god at all. Not that you're religious but not to a particular god or doctrine like you claim - I've never heard of that concept before, how can you be religious but not knowing what it is you believe in? I'm not much in the know on the exact nomenclature, but your definition of 'ag…

I'm from America and have heard both these concepts, just to add a data point

Re: A new study looks at how exercise can help alleviate anxiety and depression

#265

Post by mattmanser »

armada651 wrote: post #244
Dalewyn wrote: post #236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>non-religious perspective, as an atheist This is a completely off-topic tangent, but as a fellow non-religious person I'm sorry: Being non-religious and being an atheist are mutually exclusive positions. Being non-religious means you are apathetic to religion thereof. God(s)? Souls? Afterlife? Commandments? Nope, you don't care about anything concerning religion one way or another. Being atheist means you believe in…

This distinction between non-religious and atheist is new to me and sounds like an Americanism. Over here in Europe if you don't believe in a god you're an atheist, simple as that. Some people are agnostic, meaning they are religious but don't subscribe to a particular god or doctrine. However no one makes the distinction between atheism and non-religious that you're making here. It may have something to do with the…

You're confusing agnostic with what is usually termed spiritual in the UK. People who are spiritual sort of "pick and choose" whatever they fancy, or just feel there's some greater being but don't think any religion gets it right. Sometimes it's monotheistic, sometimes polytheistic.

Agnostic means you believe it's impossible to know whether god exists or not.

I do agree with what you're trying to describe, that many people in some European countries just don't care one iota about religion. I don't think Americans can really understand that without living in a secular society. It's such a non-thing in our lives that, non-religious, agnosticism and atheism, etc. all tend to get mixed into one.

Society has become so secular that those technical definitions have become essentially meaningless. God doesn't exist/I've given it no thought/I don't know if a God exists/I don't acknowledge the existence of supernatural entities all are essentially the same position because it takes up so little of our time or brain power and has so little consequences on our lives.

I stress "some" countries as some European countries, or just small parts of those countries, are still fairly religious.

Re: A new study looks at how exercise can help alleviate anxiety and depression

#266

Post by escapedmoose »

satokema wrote: post #199

I walk to the store when it's reasonable. I wasn't top tier at it, but the most exercise I could tolerate was playing DDR, because there was a game to it that isn't just physical activity. These kinds of articles are always annoying because it invites a certain kind of person who will gush unendingly about how great exerting yourself is. For me, exerting myself sucks, it is only something I want to do when it's attac…

I’m of the same mindset as you. I’m amazed at people who can tolerate even 30 minutes of “normal” exercise, because every time I try to lift weights or go running, my brain is screaming at me the entire time to please for the love of god find literally any other occupation. I’ve tried accompanying exercise with music, podcasts, books, TV to no avail. Anyone suggesting yoga or meditation for this does not understand the issue at hand—yoga is the worst offender!

Acknowledging my broken brain, I avoid taking my car anywhere that I could reasonably walk or bike, because having a destination makes the exercise easier. And I’ve leaned in heavily to DDR, creating a semi-permanent station for it in my basement, complete with balance bar. If not for those things I would have nary an ounce of muscle on my body.

Re: A new study looks at how exercise can help alleviate anxiety and depression

#267

Post by ant_li0n »

bratbag wrote: post #184

The only thing more consistent than the benefits exercise has brought to my mental health, is the strange irrational hatred some people have for the idea that it can help.

Yeah it's complicated. I guess an analogy could be like walking up to a fat person and shouting, "Calories in, calories out, bro!".

Simply, it's not helpful. Fat people know they're fat because they have a caloric surplus. They've tried eating less. They're not stupid.

I think the defensiveness people exhibit is a byproduct of their cumulative reactions to a bunch of unsolicited advice. My own (unsolicited) advice would be: don't give people advice, unless they specifically ask for it. I can guarantee you that every depressed person on the planet has heard that exercise is good for your mental health. Instead, you can say something like, "I'm very sorry that you're having a hard time. I want you to know that you're important to me, and if there's ever anything I can do to help, let me know"

Re: A new study looks at how exercise can help alleviate anxiety and depression

#268

Post by haswell »

nradov wrote: post #162
haswell wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Strenuous cardio agitates me. It’ll put me in a weird uneasy mood for a few hours at least. Apparently this is the effect it can have on some people. I’ve found Yoga and cycling to be the right fit, and they allow me to challenge myself without feeling too hyped up later.

Learn to be comfortable with being uneasy and agitated.

Heh, that’s closer to my default state due to CPTSD and I’m quite comfortable/familiar with it.

But choosing to exacerbate that state when there are other options to achieve my fitness goals is counterproductive, and I’ve been advised to avoid it.

There’s an important difference between getting comfortable with hard things, and subjecting yourself to unnecessary/avoidable hyper-arousal states which can become their own form of health problem in the long run.

People injure themselves this way, and should pay attention to their bodies when exercising.

Re: A new study looks at how exercise can help alleviate anxiety and depression

#269

Post by haswell »

Noumenon72 wrote: post #99
hinkley wrote: post #2

I don’t know if this has changed for younger generations, but a lot of people, particularly those in intellectual pursuits, suffer to one degree or another from thinking of themselves as a brain being carried around as a meat sack. We are learning more about mind body connections and this is very not true (the ways the vagus nerve can totally fuck with your mental state is terrifying, and there are people with dysfun…

My brain is still "me" more than the meat sack I use to to ice skate, lift weights, and ski. I just think of my body more like a mech I can learn to pilot via telepathic control interface that gains sensitivity over time. I'll never be one of those athletes who lets go of conscious control and runs off muscle memory, but I've really enjoyed learning enough about my body that I can use it the way it was designed. It f…

> I'll never be one of those athletes who lets go of conscious control and runs off muscle memory

A lot of people feel this way, but the reality is that we already do almost everything without conscious control, we just don’t tend to notice.

Not to mention the majority of the systems in our body are also beyond conscious control, and for many, beyond awareness completely (e.g. the nervous system).

The book “Flow” is a really interesting read, and describes how one’s approach to daily life can lead to something closer to that athlete’s state.

This is closer than most people realize.

Re: A new study looks at how exercise can help alleviate anxiety and depression

#270

Post by [deleted] »

qumpis wrote: post #113
lethologica wrote: post #83

I’ve had major clinical depression for the last 15 years or so. The first 4 months of this year was the lowest I’ve ever been. During that time though I was going to the gym 6 days a week doing weight lifting and then I would cycle 50km a day on top of that. All of it was on autopilot however, my depression just wouldn’t allow me to focus on anything but it. Luckily I had been building up the habit for years in advan…

Sorry to hear that. I guess you experienced major setbacks in your life this year?

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