• image.alt
  • With Mayo Clinic psychiatrist

    Gabrielle J. Melin, M.D.

    read biography

Mayo Clinic Health Manager

Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.

Get Started

Free

E-Newsletter

Subscribe to receive the latest updates on health topics. About our newsletters

  • Housecall
  • Alzheimer's caregiving
  • Living with cancer
  • Depression blog

  • July 31, 2009

    Blog: Using exercise to fight depression

    By Gabrielle J. Melin, M.D.

19 comments posted

We know exercise helps keep us healthy, and it's often recommended to those with diseases like diabetes.

Need more help?
  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
    1-800-273-TALK (8255)
  • Go to the nearest hospital or emergency room
  • Call your physician, health provider or clergy
  • National Alliance on Mental Illness
    www.nami.org
    1-800-950-NAMI (6264)
Exercise also helps fight depression. Some ways exercise can help reduce your depressive symptoms include:

  • Reaching a goal
  • Getting natural endorphins flowing, which improves your mood
  • Improving blood flow

A good exercise program can be just as important as medication and therapy. Keep in mind you don't have to run two miles on a treadmill. Exercise can be as simple as working more physical activity into your daily life, such as taking 10-minute walks over your lunch break.

So, get an exercise prescription from your health care provider! Just remember to "fill" it and use it. Remember, to check first with your health care provider before you begin an exercise program. And share with the group any tips or stories you have about how exercise has helped you.

19 comments posted

blog index

MY00809

July 31, 2009

© 1998-2009 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Reliable tools for healthier lives," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.


Text Size: smaller largerlarger