Turning clocks forward means more daylight, and Sharp Grossmont Hospital says with people dealing with major depression, walking helps the brain and a person’s outlook on life. In the United States, major depression is one of the most common mental illnesses, affecting more than 21 million of American adults each year. While some people may need therapy and medications, walking is a simple, free way to help combat depressive symptoms.
Recent studies have shown that walking 7,000 steps daily can significantly decrease the likelihood of depression. Compared to folks walking 5,000 steps per day or less, those who walked 7,000 steps/day had 31% lower odds for depression. The mental health benefits seemed to level out at around 10,000 steps.
Sharp Grossmont Hospital Outpatient Marriage and Family Therapist Mary Heineke said one of things they recommend for depression is exercise, but with her patients, it is one of the hardest things to do.
“It seems overwhelming. I think they have the impression that they have to go to a gym, workout for 30 minutes or an hour a day, when all we are asking is for 10 minutes at a time to start a new routine. I work primarily with seniors and because of pain and suffering, walking is painful, so that makes this commitment more difficult. But understanding that you have to have exercise to help medication work better we think about how the brain functions with creating endorphins to make you feel better, that is what we are trying to do with medication with depression. You might take medication for depression and when you start introducing new behaviors, then you notice the uptick in endorphins and you feel better,” she said.
Heineke said that exercise can be taken slowly by first walking to the mailbox, then taking stairs, and then walking longer distances, and as they go through this process, they will notice how much better they feel. She said they use an acronym in groups to help patients, because depression can keep people from having a routine.
“Exercise is the largest component, so we ask patients to start with baby steps. APES, A is to accomplish something, P is pleasure, do something for fun. Do something for yourself. That could be taking a long warm shower, watching a television show that you like, reading a book. The E is exercise. S is socialization. Getting out and being around people or calling people or talking to people. A lot of people become homebound when we are feeling depressed. We need community. We need people in our lives in order to feel connected. And that is what we are trying to do,” she said.
Heineke said all these things can be accomplished through exercising.
“You can accomplish something because you went out and exercised. You went out and took a walk in your neighborhood. It became pleasurable because you noticed all the greenery, leaves coming back on the trees, and the flowers starting in people’s flowerbeds. And you can socialize with your neighbors and people that you see. Just a quick hello and a smile. And that will start creating endorphins for us to feel good and to feel connected. That is why I really talk about exercise when people are depressed,” she said.
Heineke said exercise can still be the hardest thing to do, but we know intellectually that exercise eventually starts to feel good. She said it may be a struggle in the beginning, but it is part of the process of recovery.
Heineke said though she deals with the elderly, this process is good for any age group.
“What applies for depression also applies for anxiety. When we start creating an exercise plan, it can really clear your head. When working we say we need to get outside and clear our heads. When we are getting out, we are getting out into nature. We are noticing things that we would not notice when sitting in bed or sitting on the couch. At any age, there is no limitation. If you are walking with a walker, you can still do this. If you are in a wheelchair, if you get outside and move, you are going to feel a lot less depressed. All those things in APES accomplish something. And they do not cost anything. You do not have to pick up medication from CVS,” she said.
Heineke said with a healthy routine in life, it will not necessarily prevent depression, but you know what it feels like to exercise and to move your body, and when you do not feel like doing that, you may have symptoms of depression that could be identified earlier and get treatment earlier.
“I know that those in our patient groups, those who have had a steady stream of exercise, that when they do have depression or anxiety, they notice that changes. That is one of the symptoms of depression is that their routine is not helpful,” she said.
Heineke said she always sees a change in her patients when we change the clocks back or forward. But with Daylight Savings Time, they realize that they have more light that they can be outside more.
“Anything that may distract a person from going outside or walking, even if it is raining, but you can still do exercise at home. There are chair exercises that you can do at home. Oftentimes, we start with chair exercise just to start building up those endorphins,” she said.
Heineke said it is important to remember that when it comes to creating your own daily exercise routine, that for most people, baby steps, and then building on that is the best way to approach getting into a steady routine and helping with depression.
