Write Lightning is a blog from writer Deb Thompson.
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Mon, Sep 24 2007
Depressed? Get moving!
Another study has confirmed the benefits of exercise for clinically depressed people. What they don't seem to be sure of yet is why the exercise works. I'm sure there are some physiological reasons for its success, but there's also something in movement that gives us all a sense of empowerment. The human body is designed to move. Walking a mile is going to give one a whole sense of power that taking a pill just can't match. I'm not denigrating the use of pharmaceutical aids where they are clearly indicated. But there's just no feeling of personal accomplishment in taking a pill.
As for the group exercise yielding even better results than a workout on one's own, the social implications are probably quite strong, though tough to measure. Can you imagine getting the same sense of social support or satisfaction from taking pills in a group setting? Group exercise might even bring out a bit of the competitive spirit. An interest in pushing the body just a little bit further would encourage goal-setting and might give the patient hope that other life goals may not seem as far away as they did in the worst moments of depression.
posted at: 08:31 | category: /Health and Fitness | link to this entry
Another study has confirmed the benefits of exercise for clinically depressed people. What they don't seem to be sure of yet is why the exercise works. I'm sure there are some physiological reasons for its success, but there's also something in movement that gives us all a sense of empowerment. The human body is designed to move. Walking a mile is going to give one a whole sense of power that taking a pill just can't match. I'm not denigrating the use of pharmaceutical aids where they are clearly indicated. But there's just no feeling of personal accomplishment in taking a pill.
As for the group exercise yielding even better results than a workout on one's own, the social implications are probably quite strong, though tough to measure. Can you imagine getting the same sense of social support or satisfaction from taking pills in a group setting? Group exercise might even bring out a bit of the competitive spirit. An interest in pushing the body just a little bit further would encourage goal-setting and might give the patient hope that other life goals may not seem as far away as they did in the worst moments of depression.
posted at: 08:31 | category: /Health and Fitness | link to this entry
