Regular exercisers have always known that exercise may result in feelings of well-being, including an increased ability to relax. More recently, science has begun to recognize regular weight bearing exercise such as walking, running and strength training as an effective treatment for the effects of chronic depression—such as insomnia, weight gain and even brain shrinkage.

Much like a drug, exercise appears to affect brain chemistry and brain cells in much the same way, perhaps exactly the same way, as antidepressant medications. One of the most telling studies was reported recently, in which an exercise program was equal in benefit to routine doses of Zoloft, a common antidepressant .

The Zoloft and the exercise program were tapered off after 4 months; then the researchers tested the participants again, about 8 months after the treatments were stopped. At that point, the exercise group was doing better than the group that had received Zoloft.

So how quickly does this effect kick in? In a 2006 study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise®, the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), Researchers at the University of Texas found that even a single bout of exercise—30 minutes of walking on a treadmill—can lift the mood of patients suffering major depressive disorder.

The study divided 40 participants into two groups: a control group that rested quietly for 30 minutes and an exercise group that walked on a treadmill for 30 minutes. All had recently been diagnosed with major depressive disorder; none were exercising regularly or taking antidepressants. Participants completed two brief written surveys just before the test period and at 5-, 30-, and 60-minute intervals after their half-hour periods of rest or exertion.

“The question,” said lead researcher Dr. John Bartholomew, an associate professor in the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin, “was whether an individual bout of exercise would provide benefit—or is the mood disturbance in depressed patients so great that a single bout of exercise can’t improve it?

Most research with clinical populations of depressed individuals has instead focused on exercise as a treatment for the underlying disorder. We were looking at improving their mood in the short-term.”

Although both groups reported reductions in negative feelings such as tension, depression, anger and fatigue, only the exercise group in this study reported feeling good, as shown by elevated scores for “vigor” on one index and “well-being” on the other.

“We were surprised at the extent to which quiet rest affected mood in the control group,” said Bartholomew. His explanation? “Quiet rest” for these participants still involved getting out of the house and interacting with people, which can be therapeutic in and of itself for those whose depression may cause them to withdraw into themselves. Despite this, only exercise resulted in a greater sense of vigor and well-being.

Bartholomew emphasized that a single session on the treadmill can offer only symptomatic relief, providing transitory improvement in mood rather than a change in diagnosis. However, he noted that “many people with depression attempt to self-medicate with alcohol, caffeine or tobacco to manage their daily routine. Low-to-moderate-intensity exercise appears to be an alternate way to manage depression—one that doesn’t come with such negative health consequences.”

Intensity for efficiency:

While exercises such as yoga and meditation are beneficial for depression, many feel particular euphoric after a more intense workout.

Those who pursue intense, high-endurance sports, such as running, cycling and swimming, exert intensive stress on their bodies. In response to this stress they produce addictive substances called Beta-endorphins.

Endorphins are hormones secreted by the pituitary gland in response to physical stress. These hormones are known to block pain, decrease appetite, decrease anxiety and induce feelings of euphoria.

During a long run, some runners gradually lose the ability to feel pain and experience a thrill as their bodies are filled with exhilarating energy. This is called a "runner's high." Some believe "runner's high" is caused by the surge of endorphins distance runners feel during a difficult workout.

Research shows that the better physically fit an athlete, the more receptive the athlete is to endorphins. And as intensity and duration of exercise increase, the concentration of endorphins released also increases.

“If you are in a heightened agitated state, a good way to handle that is by doing a complete and intense cardio workout for at least ten minutes.” said Joshua Margolis, veteran personal trainer and owner of Mind over Matters Fitness. “Make it to the point where you are breathing heavily and the shirt is now covered in sweat. This will get the endorphins flowing, and help take your mind off the events that preceded the workout.”
But without proper recovery, high intensity sports and activities alone can lead to a muscular fatigue, and elevated stress hormones which counter the effect of endorphin release—so it is important to strike a balance between high intensity and low impact training.

This means performing the most intense cardiovascular (sprinting, high intensity intervals) and strength training exercises (squatting, lunge, etc) at the beginning of your workout. For strength training, these exercises should focus on multi-muscle groups, high reps and short rest periods.

Don’t sweat the small stuff:

When choosing exercises, one error many frustrated fitness seekers make is concentrating too intensely on complicated details.

“You want the exercise to be enjoyable but also easy to follow.” explained Margolis, who also holds a degree in Sports Psychology. “Chances are most of the day has involved over thinking, don’t think just do it. If an exercise is too difficult they will become even more frustrated at the inability to perform said exercises.”

A philosophy Margolis uses with his clients is the more you use the better you feel. Which basically means work as much of your body as frequently as possible. Instead of just sitting down and doing a chest press or bicep curl, let every part of the body join in to the rest of the exercise. Instead of sitting stand, instead of standing on your feet use a balance board, or how about sitting on a stability ball.

He suggests medicine ball training as an excellent full body stress reliever.

“Holding a medicine ball is like concentrating tension in your hands” he said. “Medicine ball workouts are great stress relievers because you can squeeze the ball and tense the muscles throughout the range of motion”

Medicine balls are like a weighted basketball. Some have textured surfaces making it easier to grip, some are softer so they are easier to catch, and some are made slightly harder so they are easier to bounce off the ground. They start at two pounds and go up to thirty.

Depending their weight (medicine balls start at two pounds and go up to thirty), medicine balls can be used as the intense or more gradual exercises for both upper and lower body.

Before and after the workout, exercises which are slower and more gradual in nature serve as a calming cooldown. As opposed to reps and sets, these more fluid movements are generally measured in periods of time.

One example of this type of exercise is dynamic stretching. As opposed to static stretches which are held for 30 seconds at a time, dynamic stretching involves performing slow, fluid movements-- such as arm swings, kicks, lunges and squats—to increase range of motion and activate the nervous system.

Beginning at a slower pace, the speed of these activities generally begins slowly and progresses over several minutes to resemble the speed of a given activity. For someone performing sprints for example, a dynamic warm up may consist of several minutes of toe touches and high kicks to warm up the legs.

Regardless of the type of exercise you choose, Bartholomew suggests that as little as 30 minutes of exercise has a profound effect on mood. So relax and try these movements to help work up a sweat:

Side bar #1: Medicine ball exercise:
Wood Choppers:
• Hold Ball with both hands straight above the head. This is your “axe.”
• Begin to squat down and simultaneously swing the ball between your legs, keeping the back straight.
• Return to original position.
Twists: requires the aid of a trainer.
• Stand approximately ten feet away, perpendicular to your trainer.
• Hold ball between hands in front of you, elbows slightly bent.
• Rotate your torso along with your arms and the ball in the opposite direction of your trainer.
• Uncoil in the direction of your trainer, and throw the ball to him/her.
• At this point your trainer will throw the ball back at you and repeat. Do both sides.
Taps:
• Stand with ball about a foot in front of you on the ground.
• Start with the sole of one foot on top of the ball.
• Simultaneously remove that foot and put the other one on.
• Switch back and forth for thirty seconds.
• Think high stepping.
Side bar #2: Dynamic stretches:

Arm Swings
• Stand tall and hold arms out to your side.
• Slowly swing your arms back and forth across the front of your body.
• Repeat this continuous motion for 30 seconds.

Side Bends
• Stand with a shoulder width stance. Place a toning bar on your shoulders (optional).
• Lean to one side keeping your torso straight. Do not bend forward or backwards.
• Hold for a count of 2 and then repeat to the other side.
• Complete 10 stretches each side.

Trunk Rotations
• Stand with a shoulder width stance. Place hands on hips.
• With knees slightly bent, turn from side to side keeping feet firmly on the floor.
• Complete a total of 15-20 full swings.

Full Back Stretch
• Lie on your back and bring both your knees to your chest with hands clasped under back of knees.
• Roll forwards until your feet touch the floor and then immediately roll back until just before your head touches the floor.
• Continue until you complete 10-15 full rolls.

Abdominal Stretch
• Start by lying on your back on the stability ball holding a toning bar at your chest (the toning bar is optional).
• Push back with your feet and simultaneously push the bar over and behind your head.
• Your legs should be straight and your arms outstretched.
• Return to the starting position and repeat for 10-15 reps.

Hamstring Stretch
• Lie on your back and place a piece of exercise tubing (or rolled up towel) around the bottom of one of your feet.
• Pull the tubing and raise your leg at the same time until a comfortable stretch is felt. Return to the starting position and repeat for 10-15 repetitions.
• Repeat with other leg.

from Chris Kelly at thespotter.net

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