IS EXERCISE THE NEW PROZAC?

Even if you are not the next Usain Bolt, you’ve likely heard of or even experienced the runner’s high. This is a boost in mood produced by intense exercise. Exercise has many benefits:

• increased energy

• enhanced confidence

• improved metabolism

• better heart health

• OK, and…yes…looking brawny in your quad shorts 😊

But what if riding your Peloton or engaging in HIIT training also eases one of the leading causes of disability in the US-- depression?  

The Correlation of Exercise & Depression

Depression has many faces and may mean having a sad mood from a single stressful situation or change. A severe type, major depression, can create suffering in one or more areas, like work or relationships.  Symptoms of major depression include:

• A chronic sad mood

• A change in energy level

• A change in sleep patterns

• A lost of interest in things once enjoyed

• Irritability

• Reduced concentration

• A change in appetite

• Excessive guilt

• Thoughts of death or suicide

Major depression often requires treatments like therapy and medications. The positive effects of regular exercise on general well-being have been well documented. But what can a single exercise session do?  Can it impact mood?  Researchers at Iowa State University wanted to know.

The Experiment

So, they had 30 participants either ride a bike for 30 minutes or rest and then each person did the opposite task the following week.  They filled out surveys before, during, and right after exercise. Then they assessed again three times post-exercise or rest, the last one 75 minutes afterward.  Using standard questions and scales, researchers measured the following:

• Mood States

• Anhedonia (difficulty feeling pleasure from activities once enjoyed)

• Cognition (concentration and ability to switch thinking tasks)

The findings?  Mood states consistently improved during and up to 75 minutes after exercise. Anhedonia decreased up to 75 minutes after exercising, when the effect started to drop off.  Concentration improved during the exercise but then reduced below the resting group after exercise.  More research is needed to understand this last finding.

Moreover, as a pilot study, the same researchers had one-third of the original study group split in two. One exercised moderately before virtual cognitive behavioral therapy sessions. The other half went about their usual day-to-day activities before appointments. While both groups improved, those who exercised before therapy had reduced depression symptoms.  This suggests that their workout may have played a role in this improvement.

The Conclusion

The overall conclusion? A single exercise session can lift mood, reduce anhedonia and improve thinking skills.  It also may mean that exercising before an emotionally or cognitively demanding task may enhance performance or results for someone with depression. It is important to note that these studies were small, and the second one was not statistically measured. Yet the results are promising!

Are you feeling blue as grey skies blanket Pittsburgh?  Well, don your Techflex gear and grab your dumbbells.

Better yet?  Up your fitness routine. Book your free fitness assessment with Pittsburgh Fitness Project trainer to launch your health goals, whether physical or mental.

Diane Dean, RN, LPC, CUG

Professional Coach, Licensed Counselor, Nurse, PFP Gym Member