by LL Malone

Created on: January 30, 2009

Major depression or clinical depression (also known as Major Depressive Disorder or MDD) is a serious medical illness affecting 15 million American adults, or approximately 5 to 8 percent of the adult population. Unlike normal emotional experiences of usually transient mood states, major depression is persistent and can significantly interfere with a person's day to day existence.

Behavior, thoughts, physical wellness, moods, and activity levels may all be affected in varying degrees and the resulting disabilities can be very discouraging, especially for people who are generally happy and active.

For me, depression seemed to appear out of nowhere, and with a vengeance.
Even though I thought I was coping well in response to some extremely challenging life-lessons, my body and mind rebelled. And as many people are prone to do, I, too, stopped taking time to exercise when those circumstances began to escalate.

I soon found myself feeling as if I would collapse at any given moment. People around me couldn't understand why I wasn't handling things in my usual Super Woman way, or why I would break into tears for no apparent reason. Even though I wasn't eating much, my weight was going up and I was sporting bluish-black bags under both my eyes most of the time from lack of sleep. There were literally weeks on end when I could not sleep through an entire night, which, among other things, left me exhausted, unhappy, and achy most of the time.
In short, I felt like the world was crashing in on me.

A beloved mentor, who was also a doctor prior to her recent passing, finally cornered me and said, "It's exercise or drugs. You choose." The last thing I felt like I wanted to do was exercise; my aversion to Big Pharma won out, however.

Fortunately, research has indicated that exercise may match drug therapy for treating major depression. For those of us who prefer not to take medications and are doing our best to remove as many toxins from our lives as possible, this is very good news.

There are numerous reasons to exercise if you are depressed. For me, exercise literally put my life back on course again.

Just a few of the exercise-related changes you, too, may experience:

1. Increased sense of well being

2. Increased overall energy levels

3. Increased oxygenation and blood flow to the body and brain

4. Natural tension and stress relief

5. Sense of accomplishment, more self confidence, feeling like you are taking an active role in recovery

6. Fewer episodes of sleeplessness

7. Better stabilization of blood sugar

8. Weight management

9. Physical strengthening and increased resistance to mood swings

10. Sense of community with others, self, or nature

If you've been sidelined by depression, begin any new exercise program slowly. Just walking a block or two each day is a great start. Work with our doctor or holistic health practitioner and remember persistence is the key. Any regular exercise effort will make a tremendous difference in the way you feel, especially if you've been sedentary or bedridden from depression.

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