Posted by SeanT on May 7, 2000, at 15:44:07
In reply to Exercise; Part II, posted by JohnB on May 5, 2000, at 16:42:34
> According to William Haskell, exercise expert an Stanford University Medical School, besides helping to keep fit, exercise "improves the ability of insulin to enter cells, so it lowers the risk of diabetes. It also lowers the risk of heart disease by improving blood clotting mechanisms, lowering triglycerides, and raising HDL (good) cholesterol."
>
> "In our studies, exercise improved sleep in people with modest sleep dysfunction, that is, people who take a long time to fall asleep or who wake up frequently at night."
>
> "Exercise isn't a panacea, but it has consistently been shown to help relieve (mild forms of) both depression and anxiety."I've read something on the order of thirty articles
on the effect of exercise on depression and nearly
all of them report signficant increases in neurotransmission
in the serotonin and norepinephrine systems. Also
commonly found is improved cortisol respone, quality
of sleep, and alertness.The measurable clinical effect of exercise seems
to be less than medication, but the combination
has been shown to be significantly better than
either alone and the relapse rate for those who
exercise is significantly lower.Now, exercise is clearly not appropriate for those
who are otherwise incapacitated by disease, injury,
or age. It could never replace medication and it
certainly doesn't work as well, when a medication
wroks.I would like to say, however, that the improvement
I experienced took well over a month to happen. I
also felt worse initially, but I stuck with it because
it at least distracted me from suicidal thoughts
and even though I had no energy at all to begin
with, by the end of a month my body was responding
and in turn, my mind felt better. It now seems
integral to my recovery and I treat both with
equal gravity.SHould everybody exercise? Well, probably not. The
relationship between panic and exercise is complex.
There is evidence that certain by-products of
exercise can trigger anxiety attacks at first.
Interestingly, so can *tricyclic* antidepressants.
When I was on amitriptyline, the first couple of
weeks were tough, but when the drug finally kicked
in, it was worth waiting it out.I can't tell you how difficult it was to get my butt
exercising. It took all the willpower in the world
and only happened after months of procrastination
and suicidal ideation. But I really think it is
great long-term strategy for recovery from depression.s.
poster:SeanT
thread:32437
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000429/msgs/32664.html