Workouts Can Lighten Heavy Hearts

The millions of Americans stricken each year by debilitating depression may want to consider running away from their problem--or walking, swimming or dancing it away.

"What the studies are showing is that exercise, at least when performed in a group setting, seems to be at least as effective as standard antidepressant medications in reducing symptoms in patients with major depression," said researcher James Blumenthal, a professor of medical psychology at Duke University in Durham, N.C.

According to Blumenthal, other studies are beginning to suggest that solitary exercise, such as workouts at the gym or a daily jog, can be just as effective as group activities in beating the blues, and that "duration of exercise didn't seem to matter--what seemed to matter most was whether people were exercising or not."

Blumenthal was lead author on a much-publicized study released five years ago that found that just ten months of regular, moderate exercise outperformed a leading antidepressant (Zoloft) in easing symptoms in young adults diagnosed with moderate to severe depression.

And another study released earlier this year, by researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, found that 30-minute aerobic workouts done three to five times a week cut depressive symptoms by 50% in young adults.

Theories abound as to how revving up the body helps uncloud the mind.

Robert E. Thayer is a professor of psychology at California State University, Long Beach, and the author of Calm Energy: How People Regulate Mood With Food and Exercise. He said that while workouts probably affect key brain chemicals like serotonin and dopamine, physical activity may also trigger positive changes in other areas, too.

"Depression is a condition characterized by low energy and moderate tension, something I call 'tense tiredness,' " he said. But exercise has a clear "mood effect" that seems to ease that anxious but lethargic state, he said.

According to Thayer, moderate exercise--a brisk ten-minute walk, for example--results in a boosting of energy, although it may not be quite enough to relieve stress.

"More intense exercise--the amount you'd engage in with a 45-minute aerobic workout--does give a primary mood effect of reducing tension. It might also leave you with a little less energy because you'd be tired, of course," he said. "However, there's also some indication from the research that there's a 'rebound' effect an hour or so later, in terms of [increased] energy."

Blumenthal pointed to the more lasting psychological boost regular workouts can bring. "People who exercise might also have better self-esteem; it may help them feel better about themselves, having that great sense of accomplishment," he said.

Still, the experts acknowledged that truly depressed individuals often find it tough to jump into an exercise routine.

"Why do people not do the thing that's perhaps the most important thing for them to do?" said Thayer. "It's because a drop in energy is such a central component of depression--you just don't have the energy to do the exercise."

He said the key to breaking that cycle is to start small.

"Thinking about going to the gym and doing all the stuff that's involved with that can be overwhelming for a depressed person," Thayer pointed out. "But if you think, 'Hey, maybe I'll just walk down the street 30 yards or so, at a leisurely pace,' that's a start. And it turns out that your body becomes activated then--you have more of an incentive to walk farther, to do more."

Loved ones can play a key role, too, urging a depressed friend or family member to join in with them as they work out. "Social support, peer pressure, family support--all of that can be helpful, certainly in getting people to maintain exercise," Blumenthal said.

No one is saying that exercise is always a substitute for drug therapy, especially for the severely depressed. "But we also know that these drugs aren't effective for everyone--about a third of people aren't going to get better with medication," Blumenthal said.

For those patients, exercise may prove a viable, worry-free alternative--with one great fringe benefit.

"In addition to its mental health benefits, there are some clear cardiovascular benefits to exercise which we don't see with antidepressant drugs, of course," Blumenthal noted. So, he said, what keeps the mind fit strengthens the body, too. "You're killing two birds with one stone."

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Article Writing – Step by Step Guide to Writing an Article

Article writing and submission is one of the easiest ways to drive qualified traffic to your web site, but it is one of the hardest things to actually sit down and do everyday. I know, because article writing is one of the most profitable things I do, and yet, I find it hard to write more than about 20-40 articles per week. After that level, I just really have to buckle down and remind myself how much money I make when I write articles.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sean_R_Mize

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Kids Self-Esteem - A Story to Build Confidence

You've all heard, "When I was a child we walked to school. Up hill. Both ways." As kids these stories made you roll your eyes. They did not make you feel as though you were so much better off than your parents had been.

When my Dad told similar stories I couldn't relate. The disconnect happened because my Dad was trying to force a lesson on me that I didn't have the experience to appreciate.

When you want to build your child's self confidence, it's best to remain non-judgmental and to take yourself out of the equation.

Here is a story I use to open up children's imaginations to the concept of being an Ordinary Superhero - a strong and confident person. Your Superhero is the strength you posses within. This story is about becoming aware of and using tools you already posses to feel strong and secure.

"Did you know that everyone has a Superhero inside? Let me tell you a story.

Lisa is an animal lover. She loves puppies and kittens and hamsters and birds and ferrets and fish and bunnies, oh, the bunnies! Lisa especially loves bunnies.

Lisa's family knows how much she loves animals so after dinner they turn the TV to animal planet just for her. Trouble is Lisa hates watching animal planet. She hates it when a sweet little bunny gets eaten by a hawk. She just wants to cry and run screaming from the room!

But Lisa knows her family is watching the show just for her and she doesn't want them to be mad at her for not watching. She's too afraid to say anything. She's afraid her family will make fun of her, or be mad at her, or send her to the garbage dump, so she keeps quite. But it's getting so bad that just thinking about watching animal planet makes her feel sick!

Lisa stops eating much at dinner because she's afraid she'll get sick. Mom and Dad are really worried about her and ask why she won't eat. But she doesn't know how to tell them what's wrong!

Then Lisa feels it, deep down inside she knows she can do this! Actually, Lisa feels like there's another person inside her, someone who's been there all along - a very strong and brave person - kind of like a... a superhero! Yah, that's it, a superhero!

At first Lisa's Superhero is very faint - just a small feeling right behind her belly button. Then she discovers that when she concentrates on that Superhero feeling inside, it gets stronger. Lisa even thinks she can tell her big brother to stop teasing her!

So Lisa finds her Superhero again and lets it grow strong inside of her. And wow, does she feel terrific! Lisa finds her voice and asks Mom to please pass the potatoes.

This is great! Lisa even gives her superhero a name, "Super Animal Protector" and she feels strong and good about herself. And guess what? She isn't afraid to talk to her family any more.

So the next night, the family heads to the TV room. Lisa starts feeling sick, but she makes a choice. She's going to tell her family how she feels. Mom turns on Animal planet and here come the snakes. Oh no, not snakes. Snakes are not animals! They're reptiles! And they eat bunnies!

Lisa is about to cry, but instead she feels Super Animal Protector, lets her grow up inside and says, "Hey everybody. Thank you for watching Animal Planet just for me. But the truth is I hate Animal Planet so I'm going to my room to read a book about raising healthy bunnies." And that's exactly what Lisa does. And she feels strong and good about herself.

Everyone has a superhero. You do too!"

Please share this story with your child. Share your experiences with self-esteem and times when you've pushed through the barrier of anxiety. It will have a profound effect on his/her ability to tap into and use the strongest part of him/herself, Superhero Self-Esteem.

Visit us at http://www.SuperheroSelfEsteem.com for more tips on strong, simple self-assurance.

For more Superhero information, visit http://www.SuperheroSelfEsteem.com

Sally Morgan helps parents and teachers raise children's self-confidence with Superhero Self-Esteem™. We all have a place deep inside that feels strong and sure. With Superhero Self-Esteem workouts, you can build a kid's self-assurance in 10 minutes a day!

Sally Morgan SuperheroSelfEsteem.com

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Consider this site:
KidsEdgeonSelfEsteem.com