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Exercise, depression and stress management - silly walks rule!

 It's an old saying, but when you're having a bad day or struggling with strong emotions, to 'walk it off' makes perfect sense. There's a meditative reward to walking. The repeated  motion of swinging your arms and thrusting your legs forward does seem to calm the brain. (perhaps not these people, to my left) And it certainly helps the body, toning and relaxing cramped muscles, aiding in weight management and the best thing of all - stimulation of the immune system. It has been scientifically proven to help with depression and anxiety.
The Black Dog Institute has some great info  here 
"Research suggests that regular exercise may increase levels of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter involved in mood, sleep, libido, appetite and other functions, and has been linked to depression. Exercise may also increase endorphins, which are chemicals in the brain with ‘moodlifting’ properties."
So why don't we do it? It seems to take effort to commit to a daily walk, when we've so much to do, such busy lives. I thought about it recently - how much time do I spend watching TV, on facebook, talking on the phone? Aren't the benefits of a little exercise, outside in the fresh air, the longevity and better health worth it? So I made a decision. Because that's all it is really. Now I grab the dog leads and head out the door before I can talk myself out of it. I found if I leave it 'until later' it doesn't happen. I'm too tired at the end of the day, especially in winter, when the idea of snuggling up near the fire is so much more appealing. I'm so lucky to live in a mountainous region of Australia, an area of natural beauty, where gorgeous bushwalks, waterfalls, creeks and cliffs are at my doorstep. The girls (our dogs) absolutely love this new routine, running around off-leash, reading their weemails. Their enthusiasm infects me. Life is good! Get out there and enjoy it.

If you'd like more information about anxiety, depression or mood disorders, I've started a whole new blog here:

 Note To Self

cheers, Dawn
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Comments

  1. Unknown17 September 2012 at 02:16

    Just wanted to say hi.
    I started my own blog a few days ago, and am trying to connect to others who are writing about depression and anxiety.


    Great blog.

    Hope to read more soon

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dawn Meredith26 November 2012 at 13:07

    Glad you like it, AdHoc!
    I've had so much traffic about this post that I've started a whole new blog. There's more here: http://notetoselfdailythoughts.blogspot.com.au/ If you click on 'Follow this blog' you'll be able to see new posts.
    cheers,
    Dawn

    ReplyDelete
  3. Christina24 January 2013 at 03:53

    Very interesting tip. Though exercise like walking could not really treat 100% stress and depression, but still it can help in the recovery. Walking is one best exercise, in fact it is a good bonding with family, talking while walking.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Unknown26 January 2013 at 21:25

    Thank you for being so kind enough to have shared your information with us.COMBATING DEPRESSION

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dawn Meredith27 January 2013 at 15:18

    You're welcome Andrew! check out my other blog for more info on depression and anxiety :-) www.notetoselfdailythoughts.blogspot.com there's also a link at the top of this page.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Unknown12 September 2017 at 18:18

    Thank you for taking the time to publish this information very useful! stress relief

    ReplyDelete

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