Some people may be surprised to learn that physical activity can be effectively used to alleviate symptoms of depression and lift a person’s mood. But, the specific ways through which these effects are produced have not been well elucidated.
New clues emerging from research suggest how exercise may help to alleviate symptoms of depression.
It is only just recently that new research is beginning to reveal some of the processes through which exercise can bring about changes in the brain that help treat depression.
This is made possible through the elevation of neurotransmitters for example serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. These are chemicals that are present in the brain and are very essential in moderating one’s mood.
It has been noted that the levels of these neurotransmitters are disrupted in people with depression. One of the ways exercise helps is that it provides the brain with an extra push in the production of these essential mood-regulating neurochemicals.
Thirdly, exercise helps in the release of what are known as endorphins, which are opioids found naturally in the body. These endorphins work on the receptors in the brain that morphine-like drugs act upon. This results in a sort of a ‘high’, sometimes referred to as ‘runner’s high’, and is believed to alleviate the feelings of depression and enhance mood.
Exercise also promotes cell production in the brain, particularly in the hippocampus area. The hippocampus is part of memory consolidation and is one of the few places where neurogenesis which is the creation of new neurons has been proven to occur in the adult brain.
Depressed patients are likely to have a smaller hippocampus, as opposed to increased hippocampal volume, which is occasioned by exercise. The exercise might contribute to the expansion of the hippocampus, which could be partly involved in the amelioration of depressive symptoms.
Turning to the ways that exercise might reduce depression, another clue is provided by its impact on inflammation and immune function. Inflammation is a natural process that serves to protect the body against infection, and brief episodes of acute inflammation are normal; on the other hand, chronic low-grade inflammation has been associated with depression.
This makes a lot of sense because the immune cells and inflammatory markers identified in instances of depression are toxic both to brain cells and neurotransmission. Exercise has an impact on the amounts of these inflammatory markers that circulate in the blood and alters the behavior and quantity of immune cells. It is believed that decreased inflammation in the body as a result of exercising may be responsible for the antidepressant properties that are associated with exercise.
More evidence supports the notion of how exercise gets the heart rate up and releases BDNF, a protein. BDNF promotes neurogenesis and neuronal differentiation and helps in the survival of neurons. In other words, it facilitates in preventing the degeneration of brain cells and also in the functioning of these cells to the optimal level.
BDNF is believed to play a role in depressive disorders; it is reported that the concentration of BDNF is lower in depressed patients. Exercise stimulates the release of BDNF, and increases circulation to bring oxygen and nutrients to the brain cells and growth of brain cells, all of which create a healthy brain environment to fight depression.
Strengthening the muscles as well as the brain – the benefits of exercise are not limited to neurotransmitters alone. It therefore follows that working out results in psychological changes too, such as improved self-esteem. Exercise also helps to ensure that people establish a routine and have something to occupy their minds in an attempt to avoid thinking negatively.
Moreover, exercising in groups motivates to reduce depressive emotions that appear due to loneliness. These psychological and social benefits complement the other mental and physiological alterations sparked by exercise to explain succor to those in depression.
With the increasing rate of mental health disorders, exercise as a non-pharmacologically based form of treatment embraces a significant role as first-line and adjunctive therapy for depression. Explaining the diverse neurological, physiological, and psychological ways in which exercise leads to getting out of the proverbial ‘dark place’ will make the sunshine and available, affordable therapies for this weight for so many people globally.
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