Q I was watching Bill Maher on TV and he said a recent study showed exercise was just as effective for depression as an antidepressant medication. Was he just kidding?
Or is this real?
A It is real all right. The study, published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, comes from Duke University. A professor of medical psychology, Dr. James Blumenthal, led the research. 153 women and 49 men suffering from depression were divided into four groups. The first did aerobic exercise in a group setting. The second got an actual antidepressant drug (Zoloft). The third group did aerobics at home. And the fourth group got a placebo that looked just like an antidepressant pill.
After 16 weeks, everybody did better than the placebo group but here’s the kicker. While 47 percent of the group that received the real antidepressant drug no longer had depression, 45 percent of the group exercisers also reported they were no longer depressed. Almost even!
Researchers found that aerobic exercise, like brisk walking, swimming, biking and aerobic dance, works best. It seems to affect the body’s levels of mood-lifting neurochemicals like norepinephrine and serotonin. Therefore, if you would rather exercise your depression away, it’s worth a try. You may get fit in more ways than one.
Q The holidays are coming up and I am getting stressed just thinking about it. The mixed emotions, the shopping, the frenzied schedules; I get so anxious I feel like I am going to pop. Is there anything I can do to calm myself down when I get that way?
A Sure! Here’s an easy short meditation that should bring you right back down to sea level. Close your eyes, and focus on your breath. Watch the ebb and flow of your own breathing pattern. As thoughts come in, let them come in, but don’t hold on to them, let them flow out.
Now take a breath and hold, 1, 2, 3, and then exhale.
Continue to focus on your breathing, in (1, 2, 3 to yourself) and out, (1, 2, 3 to yourself) in (1, 2, 3 to yourself) and out, (1, 2, 3 to yourself).
(Pause for 10 seconds) Keep breathing normally. Try to keep your mind a blank. Slowly open your eyes.
Now that you are relaxed and focused, you might even enjoy the holidays; they come but once a year.
Send your Moving Free® with Mirabai questions to exercise@movingfree.com.
Mirabai Holland, M.F.A. is considered a leading authority in the health and fitness industry. A public health activist who specializes in preventive and rehabilitative exercise, she is the creator of Skeletal Fitness by Mirabai Holland®: A Workout For Your Bones; Fabulous Forever® Easy Aerobics; Fabulous Forever® Easy Stretch: Flexibility and Stress Reduction; and The Moving Free® Ease-In Longevity Solution home exercise videos. Her Moving Free® approach to exercise is designed to provide a movement experience so pleasant it doesn’t feel like work. For more information and fitness tips, visit www.movingfree.com.
