Krichbaum 1

Kyle Krichbaum
Professor Cassel
English 1201
23 July 2016
Working Out Depression
Enter Jake. Jake believes he may have issues dealing with anxiety and depression. Jake
feels lonely most of the time, and he also feels anxiety over an extended period of time about the
uncertainty of his future. Jake does not know what he wants, and begins to feel isolated while it
seems most all friends have moved on with their lives and are living successfully. Jake stops
leaving the house, he has stopped talking to people, and he does not even consider seeing a
doctor because he does not have the money or willpower to get the help he needs. Jake, like
many other people, struggles with depression and anxiety. Doctors are there to talk to about it,
and prescribe medication that has the potential of helping, but also has the potential for disaster.
Although antidepressants are thought to be the best treatment we have for depression and
anxiety, studies show that we should actually be prescribing physical activity for people with
depression and anxiety. Physical activity is shown to have higher mood elevating effects, last
longer, and have more positive long term health effects than treating depression with medication.
The first question that needs to be asked when talking about treating anxiety and
depression is: what is it? According to the University of Minnesota Taking Charge of your
Health and Wellbeing, Anxiety is defined as normal stress. However, prolonged anxiety is a
disorder involving many symptoms such as fatigue, muscle tension, trembling, twitching, fear,
racing thoughts, and the feeling of impending doom (Minnesota). Depression on the other hand
is a debilitating condition. It has adverse effects on your family life, work, eating and sleeping

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habits. It involves low self-esteem and loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable
activities. Symptoms include: Sleep disorders, irritability or anxiety, loss of energy, feeling
persistent sadness, guilt, or hopelessness, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, and possibly
thoughts of death or suicide. Now that anxiety and depression have a definition, the benefits of
physical activity on the symptoms for the treatment of prolonged anxiety and depression can be
investigated.
Many people believe antidepressants are the answer for depression because this
medication is what has always been used as a treatment. Unfortunately, this is not the best
answer in many cases. One thing people may not know about antidepressants of almost any type
is that they have the negative side-effect of weight gain. This side-effect in and of itself is linked
to causing low self-esteem, and thus depression. The possibility of this vicious-cycle incites the
need to look at other options for the treatment of depression and anxiety. According to
neuroscientist James Blumenthal of Duke University, In the exercise only treatment group, [of
people with depression] only eight percent of people relapsed into depression (Clear). This is in
contrast to 38% relapse in people of a medication only group, and 31% of people in a
combination of exercise and medication treated group (Clear). This startling difference can be
seen in the chart below. The high relapse percentage of both groups that were treated with
medication is likely caused by the high probability of worsening of symptoms if patients are not
taken off of their medication correctly. The major way that physical activity helps depression is
self-satisfaction. The increased self-confidence and satisfaction you receive from being
physically active outweighs and sometimes has an even greater effect than just medication alone.
Many people hate working out.

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Figure 1. Illustrates the recovered and relapse of Exercise versus Medication (Clear).

If they changed their thought process and saw it as something positive they can do for
themselves, they would be better off in the long-term. The following is from a firsthand
interview with Aliesha Peterson. Aliesha works out to fight her depression every day. She once
had a bad relapse after coming off of antidepressants, and never looked back at them once they
failed her. Looking for another way, she says, I was extremely depressed and refusing to go
back on antidepressants, Aliesha explained. I went and saw a therapist, and she recommended
that I join a gym and start working out three times a week. I reluctantly obliged and to be
completely honest, I absolutely hated it. I hated how uncomfortable I felt there, that I obviously
had no idea what I was doing. But after three months of sticking with it, she admitted that she
started to 'somewhat enjoy it' (Peterson).
Another way exercise helps depression involves being self-effective, according to Dr.
Lynette Craft, a medical researcher who has spent years seeing how exercise and depression are
related. She says, The enhancement of self-efficacy through exercise involvement may be
another way in which exercise exerts its antidepressant effects. Self-efficacy refers to the belief

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that one possesses the necessary skills to complete a task as well as the confidence that the task
can actually be completed with the desired outcome obtained (Craft). Exercising releases
endorphins in the brain. To the non-neuroscientist, these are the feel-good chemicals that get
released in the human brain when we do something pleasant like eat chocolate, have sex, or
exercise. Due to this mood elevating chemical, exercise is prescribed to people with depression.
Dr. Megan Schabbing of OhioHealth says, Things such as: Walk 30 minutes three times a week
with your granddaughter. Its not medication, but its no less serious (Kutzman).
Just 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity such as walking, jogging, biking, or dancing in
a day can help elevate the mood of someone with depression to get them through the day. This is
important; after all, it really is one day at a time until it becomes a routine, and then a habit, and
finally it becomes part of your life for the good of your wellbeing. Even the Anxiety and
Depression Association of America (ADAA), an organization committed to finding cures to all
types of depression and anxiety says, According to some studies, regular exercise works as well
as medication for some people to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, and the effects can
be long lasting. One vigorous exercise session can help alleviate symptoms for hours, and a
regular schedule may significantly reduce them over time (ADAA).

Figure 2. Shows the stress and anxiety before and after a run (Ratey).

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There are few medical researchers who would disagree with other doctors. Melanie
Chalder from the University of Bristol says their intervention was not an effective strategy in
reducing symptoms [of depression]. However, she does say, it is important to note that
increased physical activity is beneficial for people with other medical conditions such as obesity,
diabetes and cardiovascular disease and, of course, these conditions can affect people with
depression" (Telegraph). On the other hand, some people would argue that medication offers a
more regular solution to the symptoms of depression and anxiety. This, however, is not the case.
When it comes to beating depression over the longterm, this is what makes exercise more
powerful than medication. Its not that medication doesnt work it does, but exercise does
something that medication does not. It proves a new identity to yourself. Each time you finish a
workout, you reap the benefits of an increased sense of selfconfidence. The cumulative impact
of these small wins is enormous (Clear).
So what can be made of all of this information? If people knew that they could look at
working out instead of taking antidepressants for their depression and anxiety disorders, they
have the ability to be happier people. They also have the ability to reach a level of physical
fitness that they had never dreamed of, all because it becomes a routine for them to go to the gym
and feel better. A side effect is they would also look better. Not only would they notice, but so
would other people. If they are not already in a relationship, it could lead to someone starting one
with their newly gained self-confidence. They also have the ability to make friends, talk with
people at the gym and become more social. Being social also has shown to elevate your mood
because you are interacting and connecting with people who want to hear about you. Talking
with people has been shown to reduce stress and allow us to vent out loud. A reduction in stress
is simultaneous with reducing anxiety. Stress and anxiety go hand in hand with one another. The

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only possible drawback from this is the cost of a gym. Gyms are expensive. However, they are
not as expensive as the cost of those antidepressant medications.
Reenter Jake. He is getting better in his daily fight with anxiety and depression. With the
help of a habitual physical exercise routine, Jake feels more like himself. His self-confidence is
beginning to grow. He leaves the house, he takes a walk, bikes with friends, and has appropriate
social interaction to make him feel less alone. Luckily, Jake has not had to turn to medication for
his anxiety and depression. Jakes doctor is extremely pleased with how his symptoms of anxiety
and depression are being treated; and so is Jake. Jake is now full of knowledge as to why
physical activity works better than antidepressant medication and is confident he will be without
a tragic relapse into depression thanks to his physical exercise.

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Works Cited
ADAA, Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Exercise for Stress and Anxiety. July
2014. Web. 9 July 2016 <http://www.adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/managinganxiety/exercise-stress-and-anxiety>.
Clear, James. "The Huffington Post." Natural Happiness: The Truth About Exercise and
Depression 3 February 2016. Web. 10 July 2016.
Clear, James. Natural Happiness: The Truth About Exercise and Depression. 2016. Photo
Graphic. Web. 30 July 2016. <https://s3.amazonaws.com/jamesclear/Posts/exercise-anddepression.jpg>
Kutzman, Lori. ""Exercise, Diet Have Role in Mental-Health Treatment"." Columbus Dispatch,
The (OH). Points of View Reference Center. 03 May 2016. Newspaper. 10 July 2016.
Lynette L Craft, Ph. D. and Frank M. Perna Ed.D., Ph.D. "US National Library of Medicine."
The Benefits of Exercise for the Clinically Depressed (2004): 104-111. Sinclair Library. 8
July 2016.
Minnesota, University of. Taking Charge of Your Health and Wellbeing. 10 May 2016. Web. 11
July 2016 <http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/conditions/anxiety-depression>.
Peterson, Aliesha. 'I fight my depression every day': Woman details how exercise helps her to
fight her mental health issues as she reveals images of her dramatic physical
transformation. Carly Stern. 29 April 2015. Web Interview. 10 July 2016.
Ratey, Dr. John. Aerobic Exercise has a Positive Impact on the Entire Range of Depressive
Symptoms. 2016. Photograph. Web. 30 July 2016.
<http://sparkinglife.org/uploads/images/depression-and-exercise.jpg>

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Telegraph, The. Exercise does not lift depression, research says. 05 June 2012. Web. 6 July 2016
<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/9311547/Exercise-does-not-liftdepression-research-suggests.html>.