Working Out & Mental Health

This is where I can definitely relate!

I dont like running much anyway but I find strength workout's and pad work so much more exhilarating.

I think it's bad that depression is taboo.if only people talked more.

But I agree, strength work helps a lot out are literally letting off steam. I find it much more exhilarating. Maybe it's more of a male thing.

I'd be interested to find out a femanon's opinion on this.

>Do you believe working out improves your Mental Health when suffering from depression and/anxiety?

I've struggled with anxiety and depression my whole life. The only thing that has consistently helped me deal with it is exercise. I still get depressed and anxious, but not nearly as much. The more I move around, the better I feel. Eventually, working out stopped helping as much as I grew accustomed to it, but when I push myself to my limits, I feel great the rest of the day. Not to mention the aesthetic gains, which make you feel more confident than when you are skelly or fat.

>Do you believe strength workouts work just as well as cardio with improving mental health?

I don't do much cardio. I've found that when I do it, I feel awesome afterwards. I just dislike it enough that I don't do it nearly as often as I should. I'll probably get back into it once it's cooler outside. Lifting is my bread and butter, and it does help.

Just be aware that exercise is not the golden ticket to fixing your brain. It helps, sure, but it's still there. Therapy, pushing your comfort limits, being social, and moving around (especially outside) are also important.

One day I decided that I could no longer live with my social anxiety. I threw myself at every social opportunity that comes up and let myself get better at it.

What works for me might not work for you but if you actively avoid social situations because of your social anxiety, I guarantee that you won't get better.

Medications are not a permanent solution, with it come health risks. It's better to learn how to interact with your peers and have an enjoyable social life.

I believe we all have the potential for greatness if we try hard enough. Good luck breh.

Your post hit home hard.

I absolutely agree with you. I've made a personal choice to come away from medication. Fitness is my new medication but I am still attending therapy. I am still being vocal about my thoughts and feeling's.

Fitness is a band aid in my opinion when depressed/anxious/low mood... but it's a Damn better band aid than any medication I've been on!!

Thank you for your post.

And again, I cannot stress enough the same point you made.... fitness does is not a permanent solution to your Mental health issues.

I've been staying away from medication too. I'm prescribed ritalin for ADHD (which is supposedly the root cause of my other issues), but I only take it every now and again when I really need to concentrate. At least with exercise, my emotions are more stable. I used to go full rage mode after a morning of minor inconveniences, but since I started working out that doesn't happen too often.

Another great post!

Again, I agree. Medication is definitely not a permanent solution. It does help but underlining issues needs to be addressed in some form of therapy or talking to someone. Same with fitness... in my opinion fitness works better than any pill but it dosent fully eradicate your underlining issues. I recommend fitness to anyone and I personally believe it's helped me better than med's but I still attend therapy.

I heard about fitness being good for ADHD long before I heard about its use in other forms of mental illness.

Going right back when I was back in school (many years ago), a classmate of mine had ADHD and yet I was surprised to find this out because of how he just seemed 'normal' to me... his mother had him do football tryout's, basketball, swimming but in the end it was Tae Kwon Do that helped him channel everything.

I've heard of many other cases of sports/fitness helping ADHD sufferers.

>>Do you believe working out improves your Mental Health when suffering from depression and/anxiety?
Yes.

>>Do you believe strength workouts work just as well as cardio with improving mental health?
Don't know, but when I get stressed out I feel fresher after a run, probably because it's such a repetitive, meditative act.

You know how people say "push yourself out of your comfort zone"

It's good advice but it doesn't help the fact that you still worry about making yourself look silly in public.

Here's an idea for you. Push yourself out of your comfort zone in a setting where everyone else is doing the same. Take up acting classes. Youll be forced to speak loudly, shout sometimes, pull all sorts of faces.

After that, everytime you go out, to you it'll feel like you're in an easy-level acting class.

badabing-badaboom. Thank me internally.

It helps me forget the girl that dumped me.

It really helps me focus on myself, I like that.

It does. Period.

I've had severe depression, and if I don't work out a few days the depression catches up on me.

The mere fact there is more oxygen going through your brain and you learn to deal with "pain and frustration" (weights) while you plan and are consistent, go outside to workout, have a routine, have something to occupy your mind (what to eat, how to train) and people commenting on your appearant changes creates a whole new positive self body image on top of the changes in your physical body.

experiencing your body besides beign always "in your mind" or "in your emotions" offers also a healthy balance. Be it working out, having a good long walk, swim, run or biking session.

Your stamina, endurance and focus will improve on top of all this, so you'll handle stress better.

Lately something strange is happening to me. Ive been lifting for 4 years and this never occured before.

I just have no more motivation, Im just sick and tired of everything, the routine, the diet, always having to push myself, I feel burned out on the whole thing. So I thought, maybe I just need a break. So I took a week off lifting, and ate whatever I wanted.

But it didnt help. I was just incredibly bored and frustrated during my free time. I dont enjoy playing games or watching movies/shows anymore, I dont want to hang out with my friends, I dont want to go hit on girls, I dont want to do anything anymore. Then it hit me, it wasnt just the lifting and dieting, Im tired of life, as a whole.

Am I getting depressed? I dont really know how to get out of this feeling, it never happened to me before