Better than Prozac!

Exercise as an antidote

to depression and anxiety

is not a new concept.

In the 18^th century Scotland, doctors in mental hospitals prescribed heavy farm chores as “the best medicine” for their patients and documented marked improvements in mood behavior. Now scientists are studying the link between exercise and mood changes at close range and coming up with some fascinating results.

One expert in the field says, “Exercise is clearly associated with mental health benefits.” And moderate exercisers show lowered blood-pressure levels and resultant positive mood. The key is moderate exercise, performed a minimum of 30 minutes, three or four times a week. Brisk walking, swimming, lifting weights, and bicycling – all achieve good results.

People, who exercise regularly, even at something as simple as walking or bicycling, are more flexible. They experience less stress on the muscles and joints when they do bend down the wrong way. Conditioned muscles recover faster too. It’s the couch potato who hauls himself erect one Saturday afternoon to rake the leaves or shovel snow who has trouble.

By using simple relaxation techniques, exercising and making changes in our lifestyles, we can manage stress and take control of your lives. Once you have become aware of stress, it’s time to relax. There are many techniques for relaxing (and no one better than the other), but the most basic is deep breathing. One of the body’s automatic reactions to stress is rapid, shallow breathing. Breathing slowly and deeply is one of the ways you can “turn off” your stress reaction and “turn on” your relaxation response.

Muscle and joint aches and pains are a common complaint for many of us, living as we do in a sedentary, high-stress society. The cliché warning us to “use it or lose it” isn’t far off the mark. If you think some our aches and pains are just another consequence of aging, you’re wrong – more often, it’s a result of inactivity and weaker muscles.

Doctors now say that walking is one of the best exercises. It helps the total circulation of blood throughout the body, and thus has a direct effect on your overall feeling of health. Researchers agree that exercise helps to ease anxiety and lift spirits.