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Mental Health
Why Exercise Probably Won’t Fix Your Depression
No one knows the difference between prevention and cure
Question: What do regular exercise, eating healthily and getting out in nature have in common?
Answer: They’re all great, scientifically-backed ways to maintain your mental wellbeing.
With mental health, as with most things, prevention is better than cure, but sadly, no one seems to know the difference anymore. Which is depressing, ironically.
That’s why those three things share another commonality: they’re all wrongly touted as a surefire way to pull yourself out of a depressive episode. Oh sweetie, honey, no.
Let me ask you another question. Think back to the last time you were really sick. Maybe you had the flu. Laid in bed, sweating, shaking, muscles aching and a headache worse than a 10-drink hangover. Did you manage to get a workout in? Did it even cross your mind?
Chances are, it didn’t. Why would you think being mentally ill is any different? I just emerged from a period of depression during which I didn’t shower or brush my teeth for several weeks. I couldn’t get out of bed and you expected me to get to the gym somehow?
