Exploring Counseling Sessions For Parents
How To Use Exercise To Treat Depression
Rebecca Pena
Many people are taking medication in order to combat their dark moods, worried thoughts, and other problems that they might be having. However, they might feel like the medication isn't enough. One way to add to the medication and increase your level of treatment is to try exercise. Exercise is an excellent treatment for depression because it increases the body's production of endorphins, making a person's mood lighter. It also helps people take their minds off their problems. If the patient is also overweight, it can help that patient lose weight, making him or her feel more attractive and confident. Here are some ways to add on exercise as a treatment for depression.
1. Fit It In Wherever You Can
Make a goal to exercise for a total of thirty minutes each day. This thirty minutes does not have to be in one large block of time. If you live on the third floor of your office building, take the stairs each time that you enter and leave the building. Measure the amount of time that it takes you to go up the stairs and down the stairs and add that to your time. Park farther away from the building in the parking lot if you drive to work and measure how long it takes you to get to the building. As long as you walk at a pace of four miles per hour, which is a relatively brisk pace, you will be able to fight off some of your depression symptoms.
2. Join a Group Activity
You also don't have to run on a treadmill at the gym or swim laps in a pool in order for your exercise to count. Playing a pickup game of basketball, walking to a yoga class with friends, or helping your elderly neighbor take a water aerobics class can all work as exercise. Talk to your doctor to make sure that they are strenuous enough to create endorphins. Group activities are also helpful for warding off depression because they get you out of your head and force you to meet new people, which can reduce depression symptoms for a short period of time.
3. Monitor Your Progress Like You Would a Medication
Finally, monitor your recovery progress with the same scrutiny that you would monitor your progress with medication. Make sure that you give your exercise program 6-8 weeks in order to see positive results on your mood, but don't be afraid to make the program slightly more strenuous if you are not seeing the results that you would like.
For more information, talk to a place like Dr Kuris Counseling Centers.
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Hey everyone, my name is Lori Grffin. When my son was born, I was completely unprepared for the difficulties of raising a sensory deprived child. The stress of trying to parent a difficult child definitely takes its toll. Eventually, I had a nervous breakdown and ended up enrolling in individual counseling sessions. The counseling appointments helped me work through the emotions generated while coping with fits and meltdowns from my son. I emerged from each session better prepared to provide my son with the support he needed. I also learned how to pay attention to how I was feeling during the process. I created this site because I want to share the benefits parents receive from going to counseling sessions. Thank you.