How Exercise May Protect Against Depression (NY Times)

megared · 2014-10-03T19:19:44+00:00

I haven't joined a gym and began lifting yet due to monetary reasons(working on it) but I have been more active by running everyday and doing push ups and other such exercices at home following videos and such and this is something I have noticed as well.

My head doesn't hurt as much, I don't feel tired all the time(well except when I workout) I feel more motivated to well..do stuff that I had been putting off and such. In general my head just feels more "clear" I guess is the word don't know how else to describe it. I also found that it had a snowball effect where the more I do the more I feel like doing.

One thing I would like to leave off on is if you're thinking about doing exercise don't go crazy the first time. My mistake was doing too much at once and giving up after due to my body hurting like crazy the next day I did this two times before realizing my mistake. Start at your own pace and keep improving even if its slowly remember "to build a great building you need a great base or something like that" and if possible join a gym not only will it make it much easier due to having people instruct you on exercises and such you get to meet people.

Not sure if breaking any rules and if so I apologize but just wanted to give my two cents since this is something I have personally experienced.

etcomro · 2014-10-03T18:39:19+00:00

I tell people this all the time and they never believe me. Probably because depression is a breeding ground for cynicism.

kingofpoplives · 2014-10-03T19:45:31+00:00

The mechanism behind this is circulation. Poor circulation leads to lethargy and lack of energy. If that gets bad enough you get depression. Any form of exercise will do a lot to move your blood, lymph, and other bodily fluids.

kanaduhisfruityeh · 2014-10-03T20:56:06+00:00

Exercise can give you a "high", as in giving you a hit of dopamine or whatever the feel good chemical in the brain is. I'm sure it isn't as good as the high from drugs like coke, crack or meth, but I've never seen anyone lose their house and start sucking dingdong in the alley for a gym membership.

jiveraffe · 2014-10-04T05:11:19+00:00

Today in the 'well, duh' section of the NY Times. Right after the article on not licking the wall socket.

redknight007 · 2014-10-04T02:17:32+00:00

For those who can't afford a gym membership, just go to your local Home Depot and buy 100 lbs of sand. Pour the sand in those quart sized zip lock bags and wrap them up with duct tapes. Load a duffel bag with the zip lock bags, and voila! A sandbag that you can clean, snatch, throw around, row, etc... Shouldn't cost more than 15 bucks.

cwschizzy · 2014-10-03T21:02:39+00:00

My slimmer waist and new smile attest to this.

vengefully_yours · 2014-10-04T00:51:47+00:00

I moved six tons of wet gravel with a shovel and a pickup today, four tons yesterday. I have a gym membership, but its for winter when the short days and long nights cause the most problem. During the warm months where I can get outside, I have plenty of physical labor to do. I'm already big, as in too fucking big but not fat, so I don't want to put more on. I like to have enough to do what I want, and I do.

The more I work the less my depression kicks my ass. I'm addicted to endorphins andit seems I'm always sore somewhere. I learned thirty years who in high school that workouts, even splitting wood with an axe, alleviates the repression I live with. Snow is coming, lots of shit to do, and I'm the only one doing it.

tracer123 · 2014-10-03T19:36:22+00:00

the gym a cornerstone

Let's get rid of the word gym, I'm pretty pumped and I only own dumbbells, a chin up bar, my running shoes and the bars on the side of my fucking bed. I don't pay a gym membership and even though I could easily afford to, I choose not to.

[deleted] · 2014-10-04T02:13:36+00:00

i used to never know what depression felt like until recently..

going to the gym helps me feel more confident and id recommend it to anyone feeling down

not to mention, it just makes things easier that you might have to do. if i have to pick up an air conditioner or home depot buckets filled w water for my job its easier and it will just make your life easier in general if you're not super weak.

the girl i have been bangin for the past couple of months told me i was like a machine. thats how it should be, you shouldnt let your fucking body go to waste and it makes me mad when i see that happen especially because i am a small guy n would kill for a little bit of extra body weight to be able to lift with.

barmaleo · 2014-10-04T06:56:40+00:00

Yeah, I killed my back with dancing, had to stop for half a year and it is bad. Feels like I'm spiraling down back in bad habits.

truchisoft · 2014-10-04T01:41:41+00:00

If you have a smartphone check the 6 weeks plans, like 100 push ups in 100 weeks, or 250 dips in 6 weeks, or sit-ups, pull-ups, squats, etc.

They automatically create a daily plan for you to follow, if you can't finish the plan that day, retry next day, or the same day...

I'ts probably not the best option but it beats doing nothing ;)

john-b · 2014-10-04T16:55:42+00:00

In ancient rome, every young man was expected to be in the gymnasium regularly to keep in shape. They also were one of the craziest most powerful empires, just saying.

Meatclap · 2014-10-04T19:24:53+00:00

I don't know about avoiding depression but having it when I started had some negative results.

This is anecdotal, but I have MDD and PTSD (both clinically diagnosed and have had these problems for a very long time) and I've been lifting for about 5 years now. To be honest I can't say I was better off mentally before I started, but since I've been lifting I have had upshots in serious problems such as suicidal feelings and panic attacks. I figure the latter is because of the PTSD and the sheer physical exertion probably sets me off (sometimes it's shaking, sometimes it's "chattering" always with headaches and chest tightness).

I will say that the depression (before it became MDD) affected my eating habits and lifting gave me a reason to regulate that better, because I needed reason and would neglect my needs if I didn't have one (probably still would if I stopped).

As preventative medicine I do not know. My illnesses are the result of a lifetime of terrible abuse by others going back to when I was about 9 months old, so my development was fucked from the get go. I don't think lifting weights or anything like that would have prevented a thing since my condition comes from environment.

Or did I totally miss the point?

Title	How Exercise May Protect Against Depression (NY Times)
Author	HS-Thompson
Upvotes	60
Comments	42
Date	October 3, 2014 6:30 PM UTC (11 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/TheRedPill
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/TheRedPill/comments/2i7l4x/how_exercise_may_protect_against_depression_ny/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/TheRedPill/how-exercise-may-protect-against-depression-ny.22305 https://theredarchive.com/post/22305

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