When you’re new to exercise any kind of movement is a positive. But, you may be wondering if exercise intensity adds to its benefits. While research into exercise and depression is ongoing, some studies show that intensity offers no additional benefit. That being said, however, in my experience, the more my overall health improves the better I feel. Sometimes it feels good to take a very long, brisk walk and sometimes it doesn’t. What’s most important is that you listen to your body’s signals.
As I mentioned in my previous post, walking is my go-to form of exercise, and has been for a long time now, so I will use it as an example. At some point, I moved out of my back yard and into the neighborhood, in large part because I acquired a dog that needed walking. (While a pet can add stress, they sometimes do the opposite. Walking is one plus.) I walked the dog every day for five or six years. He forced me to be consistent and I will be forever grateful to him for that!
FREQUENCY, DURATION AND INTENSITY
Walking a dog, however, does not always give you the aerobic exercise that provides the biggest depression lifting payoff. Rowdy loved to walk, but he also loved to stop and sniff every blade of grass he could find as we went!
While you want to give yourself plenty of time to develop your habit of moving, increasing exercise duration and consistency may be of benefit to your mood as your overall health improves. In other words, a daily comfortably paced walk is just as beneficial as a similar length jog. Finding your comfort zone and gradually increasing it slowly is probably your best bet.
Years ago, my son gave me a Fitbit fitness and step tracker. It changed how I managed my exercise. I could not fool myself about how much I was moving. As it turned out, I was under the mistaken impression that I was about twice as active as I truly was. It took time for me to be comfortable with the technology and to use it in a way that works for me personally. Like many people, I started by setting it to other people’s lofty goal of 10,000 steps a day (about 4 miles). When I failed to meet this goal, as I consistently did, I felt guilty. That made me even more depressed. It wasn’t helpful!
FIND YOUR COMFORT ZONE
At some point I decided feeling good about what I was doing was more important, so I tracked my normal activity level. Then, I set a goal just slightly higher than that of 3,000 steps a day. At last Fitbit fireworks for meeting the goal I set were going off every day! And, I was feeling very good about my accomplishment. Since that time, I’ve gradually added steps in 500 step increments. I am now consistently hitting 6,000 steps most days. Incidentally, researchers have suggested that 10,000 steps daily is higher than necessary for many people, especially as we get older. And, 6,000 may not work for you either. Find your comfort zone, one you know you can be successful at reaching.
Be patient with yourself but dig deep and take the first step. Then, take 10 or 20. Do that every day, and you’ll gradually see an improvement in your mood, sleep and outlook. Consider keeping a log of your activity and progress. People around you may well notice that you are better before you do, so share what you’re doing with others. You can support and inspire each other!
GOOD LUCK! YOU CAN FEEL BETTER!
AND DO LET ME KNOW HOW IT’S GOING FOR YOU.
PART ONE: EXERCISE: A TOOL TO DIMINISH DEPRESSION
PART TWO: HOW TO ADD EXERCISE TO YOUR LIFE
PART THREE: THE VALUE OF EXERCISE INTENSITY
I walk every day and do Pilates with friends several times weekly. There are many benefits!