I’ll be honest, my number one reason for exercising is to manage my emotions. I’m both highly anxious and acutely sensitive, a combination that has spelled disaster for many a romantic relationship not to mention irritated customer service personnel around the world. Although it does make me wicked-good at playing the “What If???” Game. But perhaps I shouldn’t brag about that. Anyhow, the net result of all of my intense emotions is that I need an intense outlet for them. Enter exercise.
Most people, when I explain to them my genuine need for daily sweat fests, say that they are surprised by this because I seem like a naturally calm person. To which I reply, “that’s because you’ve never seen me on a day I’ve missed my workout.” Even knowing I have exercise scheduled for later in the day is often enough to stave the crazies off.
Pity the person who comes between me and my workout.
Past research has backed me up in this department saying that not only is consistent exercise as good in managing mild-to-moderate depression as anti-depressant medications but high-intensity exercise is “the best” way to reduce anxiety. To which I say amen and amen. Apparently we were wrong.
Kinda.
The Study
New research breaks the exercise-lower depression connection by pulling out the big guns: a Twin Study. I’ll pause while everyone with a research background oohs and aahs for a minute. Now that I’ve got you all breathless, here are their findings:
– In identical twins, both often report similar levels of depression and anxiety (a finding supported by plenty of other research) pointing to a strong genetic basis for mood disorders.
– Of these twin pairs, researchers looked at those who had differing levels of exercise. The twin who exercised more did not report lower levels of depression or anxiety than the twin who exercised less.
– In addition, if one twin exercised more, then the non-exercising twin reported fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression.
– This effect was not observed in fraternal twins, lending more credence to the theory that mood disorders are mainly genetic.
– Lastly, the researchers followed all participants as they increased their exercise and found that “analyses over time showed that individuals who increased their level of exercise did not experience a decrease in anxious and depressive symptoms.”
Conclusions
The researchers weirdly conclude that the connection between mood regulation and exercise was not found because the exercise was “voluntary,” meaning the twins chose it and directed it themselves. They theorize that if exercise were “environmental” meaning imposed on the person by an outside person like a therapist or program, then it might help regulate mood.
My Conclusions
None of this really makes any sense to me. From personal experience I have found exercise to be a great outlet for stress. It truly does seem to decrease my anxiety and depressive predilections gifted to me by my genes. (Did I really just write “gifted to me”?? How about “given to me”? I haven’t watched TV in two years and yet Niecy Nash still talks in my head. Egads.) But perhaps my “need” for exercise is actually a compulsive desire along the lines of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and thereby relieves my anxiety when I “give in” to my compulsion?
What say you? Any of you think, like me, that exercise is good for your mood? Am I reading this research incorrectly? Am I the product of a bad combo of too much therapy and a yen for reading studies? Let me have it!
People have asked me if I get crabby when I don’t exercise. I have to honestly tell them, I don’t know, because I haven’t not exercised!
Maybe I can outsource my exercise for my emotional state to a hired twin. I must have a doppleganger somewhere?
I think I’m going to file this study with the “I found two snow flakes that are identical,” study. With my preference for exercise, I just can’t face this study being correct!
Very interesting post, Charlotte!
Oh hun, I’m right running beside you, eyes wild, sweat dripping… using exercise to escape the clutches my “crazies”. Of course it works, I mean if it didn’t help and no one benefited from a sort of emotional high, then we wouldn’t have ppl addicted to exercising. Research proves it… and well.. it just kinda seems to be common sense. If the chemicals in our heads (or whatever, no high and mighty technical terms here!) are a bit off, then stir them up a bit! Off the couch and out the door!
Both myself and my husband have independantly noticed my mood shifts when I do versus when I do not exercise.
If it’s a myth, it’s a pretty doggone powerful one, because for me, it makes a huuuge difference.
One study, done on two people, will not change my stance on that.
I’d be really interested to know how they look at or define different types and intensities of exercise in this study. (I’m not interested enough to pay $15 to read the full text of the article, though.)
I suffered from anxiety issues throughout my 20s and early 30s. Starting two and a half years ago I began a consistent and intense workout programme consisting of a mix of weights, running, cycling and yoga. Now my anxiety issues are almost completely under control. When I had to take a one and a half week break from exercise recently however, I reverted back to my former stress-bunny behaviour. In fact I became rather unbearably anxious. As soon as I began to exercise again my anxiety started to drop, and after a week of regular exercise I felt back to my more mentally healthy self.
I for one find it difficult to believe exercise doesn’t help!
I’ve certainly found that exercise helps my anxiety and depression. I keep telling my very depressed mother that if she would take a walk it would likely help as much as the drugs (which don’t really seem to be helping anyway). She responds she doesn’t have the energy, to which I remind her that exercise will help with that, too.
And she still sits on her couch, in front of her TV, depressed and lethargic.
If/when we have another baby (and I think we will), I realize now I MUST do two things to stave off the PPD: exercise and sleep better.
And I’m curious if these twins were in fairly regular contact, because it seems to me that it’s a group that might be more likely to be influenced by the other’s habits and moods, so that if one is depressed, the other is more likely to be?
I feel better, more capable, have more energy, and get more don (which also makes me feel better) if I get up early and exercise.
Am I feeling better because of the exercise specifically, or because I’m not sitting around in my pajamas all morning? I can’t say for sure. I think the exercise puts me on a good path that lead to other things which also contribute to good feelings.
Study schmudy. Exercise is my drug of choice.
(Take care of the body – easier to enjoy the spirit. whoa. deep. I know. )
I’ve never really believed in this (then again, I’m not a twin so what do I know), but aren’t there studies that show that twins can sense each other’s emotions and pain and whatnot even if separated by distance? That there’s some kind of spiritual connection between twins? If so, wouldn’t that explain why even if only one twin is exercising, both get the mood benefits?
Yep. One reason I exercise is to help control my anxiety and depression. Usually the exercise is enough to keep it all under control (OK, not at the moment.. but most of the time…)
personal experience > science
That is all 🙂
We know that physical stress releases Hormones from the pituitary gland. These hormones can block pain, decrease anxiety and make you feel euphoric.
These endorphins are related to the drug Morphine, and give a similar feeling.
So, if you’re depressed, and you suddenly pop a Morphine injection… you will have the normal physiological response that does/can include a feeling of euphoria. But once this drug wears off you are left in the same mental health condition you were in before…
I always thought the same was true for exercise, you are basically encouraging the release of Endorphins and this makes you feel good but in terms of improving mental health on a permanent basis I don’t think this is the case (correct me if I’m wrong)
Of course, we can continue to exercise as much as we like; maintaining Endorphin levels and ‘tricking’ the brain into a feeling of improved mental health…
Getting angry because you have missed a gym session is a normal response to an addiction as with any other drug.
Great post BTW.
I think it is SO UNIQUE to the individual but was about to say precisely what DrJ did!
since Ive been old enough to be selfaware enough to CARE (20?) Ive worked out on a regular basis.
perhaps that should be MY GREAT FITNESS EXPERIMENT 🙂
stopping and seeing what happens.
(and I love that you used this word: predilections)
“Sun exposure gives you cancer! Sun exposure is needed cause now, y’all are all vit D deficient”
Anyways. My experience is that I am MUCH more anxious when I don’t exercise. And I mean, panic attacks anxious.
I also find that exercise is an immense help for immediate mood regulator. On more than one occasion I have started running sessions mad as hell or in tears and finished able to look at things from a broader, calmer point of view.
The study makes me wonder a few things, tho’ I must admit I did Oooo when you said Twin Study!
Does exercise only work to lower depression and anxiety when the person truly believes it will? For instance, placebos can often make a person feel better without having any physical effect, just a psychosomatic one. Does exercise, then, only work for those people who believe it will or believe it has in the past? Perhaps some of the people in the study approached exercise as a must do for health reasons, rather than as a way to manage depression, leading them to believe that it wasn’t mood altering, and thus reporting that it didn’t help.
Additionally, were the participants currently dealing with a bout of depression? I know during my own dark times I was incredibly defeatist and sure that nothing was making/would make me feel better. Looking back 3 years later, I do see that running and other hobbies helped me cope. And I’d rather engage in those activities than take medication (although I do realize medication helps numerous people).
The physical-mental connection, in my humble opinion, is entirely singulary. It is different for everyone, but the majority of people who exercise do have lower tendencies for mental (emotional) difficulties.
I guess my rebuttal to this ‘twin’ study is why study twins on a debate that is a singular personal battle?
Good read my dear.. good read.
Exercise and good sleep help keep me happy and sane. If I miss either one, I notice the difference and so does my family!
I think I’m with everyone else on this when I agree that exercise does wonders for my mental health! No longer taking ADHD meds I’m so thankful for exercise sessions that leave me clear-headed without the yucky side effects of medicine, maybe not clear-headed all day long, but planning, lists, and patience help me the rest of the time. And my depressive thoughts are brought to a standstill by (most) workout sessions as well. I think just knowing that you’re working your body can help you be a little more forgiving of yourself in other areas of your life. Running has taught me that you can’t be great all the time, but it’s the effort that counts. WooHoo!
Hmm. All I know is that when I come home from the gym – I’m generally in a ten times better mood and full of energy. I feel emotionally better for probably a full 24 hours.
The study confuses me too!
I have not excercised for years at a time and gained weight :(. I have to say when I started excercising again I felt more confident about myself…and I think that helped with my moods. I still don’t enjoy it or look forward to it, but it does make me have more energy and sleep better. Most of my anxiety was at night when I went to bed. I was depressed, but I think was because I couldn’t fit into my pants!
I’m guessing this is one of those studies that’s an outlier. Like you, I’ve read too many other ones that contradict it. And failing to find a connection between two things is not the same as finding that there is no connection. Especially if you have a poorly designed or very small study.
So I wouldn’t take it too seriously!
I think I’m confused.
My person experience:
– exercise contributes to my overall sense of well being.
– exercise can serve as an outlet to blow off steam when I need it, give me time to think, or give me something to concentrate on and take my mind off things that are stressing me out (all depends on the type of workout and my state of mind at the time).
– I sleep better when I’m exercising regularly.
All that being said…I went through a period of depression, over 10 years ago now. At the time I had a fairly physical job. I was in great shape physically, but my mental/emotional state was bad.
So I suppose exercise is not a cure-all, does not work in every situation. But I still think there are benefits that go beyond physical fitness.
I have definitely found that exercise helps my mood. If I am in a bad mood you do NOT want to talk to me until I have gone running; pounded out some of the anger on the pavement and processed it and can discuss it like a human being. I often feel better after I am done exercising even when I was feeling blue beforehand. I am definitely a believer in the runner’s high.
I think the study you cite is more about academic research than real-world applicable . If I do not exercise I get really tetchy and feel lethargic plus I don’t sleep all that well . Insomnia helps to produce both depression and anxiety in my experience . Whatever the conclusions of this paper, listen to your own body, because a good exercise routine can only do you good .
Interesting posting as usual, Charlotte . Thank you .
Charlotte, this post is so timely! I just was diagnosed with anxiety (and had my first anxiety attack, which was mucho mucho scary). And like you, my friends have trouble with the idea that I have anxiety, because I seem laid back and not too stressed. I don’t even really feel like I’m anxious, apart from not being able to breathe. It’s still fairly new to me, so I haven’t figured out how to curb it yet (it calms during exercise, but comes back afterwards). Hopefully I’ll figure out how to work through it soon!
maybe this study was funded by a pharmaceutical maker? One who specializes in Rx antidepressants? I cannot imagine anything disproving the very real effect so many of us KNOW – exercise makes us feel better.
I agree with gilesdm….
Endorphins make you feel good but they don’t change mental health… they’re a management tool.
Just like you said, Charlotte, your anxiety didn’t disappear (just as the twins reported), you just figured out which coping tools worked for you. This is what makes it personal. We all have our “vices”. We all know what coping mechanisms bring us relief… but not necessarily a cure.
gilesdm also said…Getting angry because you have missed a gym session is a normal response to an addiction as with any other drug.
Addiction counselors say that breaking the addiction cycle means eliminating the “ritual” as well as the actual drug. The pre-drug ritual supplies as much of an endorphin high as the drug itself.
SO, I can see how with a random group of twins they would get these results. If they studied twin groups where one was active (reported endophin high exercise, not study imposed) and one was sedentary, would they report different levels of manageablility but still the same struggle with depression/anxiety?
And that whole thing about one twin’s exercising reducing the sibling’s depression… IDK.
An addiction counselor told me we don’t get rid of our addictions, we just trade them… hopefully for healthier ones.
Research like that confuses and confuffles me, so I am choosing to pretend your lovely post was never brought to my attention. I exercise because it provides balance and an outlet for my excessive energy. On the days I don’t exercise I find myself trudging along by 9PM versus still having energy to spare at 11PM. Exercise is the reason I don’t snap at the person who has their turn signal on for 12 blocks and stops at every side street because they have no idea where they are going. It’s my “me time” and no one but I can take that away from me.
Just stumbled upon this blog and love it!
I agree with pretty much everyone else here in that exercise does help with mood and stress/anxiety. But how does it help? The whole science of it makes sense, but for me it’s something emotional. It’s an escape from a demanding job, wondering about bills to pay, will my boyfriend get a real job, the economy, gas prices, are those chinese gymnasts really 16, etc… It’s meditation for me- someone who can’t sit still for more than 30 seconds. Instead of trying to balance everything all at once, I get to shut my brain off and just focus on releasing all this energy. Then I can return to the real world refreshed.
There’s some interesting language in this study. First off, what is leisure-time exercise? I get the image of a game of volleyball at a BBQ with many beer breaks–not a devoted workout. They also say that the exercisers still had symptoms. Okay, but I wonder if the twins who exercised managed their symptoms better than the non-exercising twin (i.e. twin who exercised still felt anxious at times but was able to head off full-blown attacks, whereas the other had attacks)?
What I know is that I always feel better after exercise and have been able to work out a lot of nagging or worrying problems while running.
Exercise helps me emotionally. I’m definitely more positive and partly because I exercise and see life as a pathway to a better me. That sounds dorky, but it’s totally true for me.
Chiming in here, stepping on to my soapbox. IM(notso)HO, studies can be done ’till the cows come home, but it won’t make a darn bit of difference to those of us who have inhabited our bodies for quite some time and know that exercise makes us feel better. And sleep. We all need to do what works for us (as long as it’s legal and doesn’t harm anyone, including ourselves).
Personally, I think research makes the researchers feel better and lessens their own anxiety, so what the hey, let them have their fun.
OK, I think you are all crazy.. Just teasing.
First off, for fuck’s sake – of course mood disorders are genetic, EVERYTHING IS GENETIC
Second, I have not had a chance to read the full text of this article, but what about the possibility that the other twin had learned another way (i.e. other than exercise) to deal with their mood issues. For example, many the mood-disordered wayfarer indulge themselves in art, music, etc.
Third, control group? How about a set of unaffected twins and test them for general, not clinical levels of mood disorder.
And fourth and finally, it sounds like this is one of those fishing expedition experiments. Let me explain. Many researchers make their living from endless scanning of databases (not saying that is what these researchers have done, I dont know) in hopes of finding some correlations. Usually these are not corrected appropriately for statistical comparisons and the such. This is the type of study that finds a relationship between starting at the moon and developing knee tumors, or at least it sounds that way to me. You ask a bunch of affected twins after the fact – “hey do you exercise? how often? etc” Then correlate that with levels of depression. Sounds like one of those catch the news headlines studies, similar to all those that make us eat eggs one day, then swear them off the next and so forth.
Now, with a purely outrageous self-promotion, if you want a fail-safe 😉 cure for mood disorders, particularly depression check out these data.
Very interesting post, thanks. I appreciate the ref to real science. Keep the good ones coming.
Also, with reference to your last post about women ruling the world, I forgot to mention that my lab has (yet unpublished) data that shows two things: 1) men start longer at curvier women and 2) they activate brain reward centers when they see curvier chicks naked bodies, relative to not so curvy gals. Neat eh?
k, im glad i read your conclusion cause none of that made sense to me either.
i believe exercise helps me handle stress- if im stressed, i exercise and i calm down. i dont think exercising prevents me from getting anxious or stressed again, but it helps fix it once its happened. and thats enough for me. and everyone around me that has to feel my wrath if i dont fit it in 😉
http://www.everygymsnightmare.com
I couldn’t get to the original article in English… Does the statistical analysis link twin depression as well? That seems to be the assumption that the conclusion relies on. If neither twin has issues with depression, then the exercise won’t show up with this large of a sample. The twins that both have depression where one is helped through exercise won’t show a strong causal relationship. I am curious if they did a DOE or just a 4 level questionnaire.
Exercise is great for my mood. If I feel like crap going in, I feel much better after my workout. If I feel great going in, I feel even better afterwards.
Also, my mother is a psychologist, and she’s taught me never to underestimate the placebo effect. Exercise has made you feel better in the past, therefore you think it makes you feel better, therefore it will make you feel better. Who cares what a bunch of twins did? If it works for you, stick to it!
My faith in research studies has been waning over the years and this study further wrecks their credibility for me. As a freelancer I’ve figured out there is always a study out there to prove or disprove what you are writing about. It’s ridiculous. I do believe in the study of self (which is why I’m fond of The Great Fitness Experiment) and this self is 100% certain exercise improves mood.
And my thought with identical twins is that perhaps they are too “connected” to experience any mood lifting if their twin is still down in the dumps. Maybe the exercise did work, but they know their twin is still depressed, so they go on feeling depressed right on with them.
I wouldn’t bank on a lot of this research as to how it applies to an individual.
In anything in life, there is a distribution across a rather wide spectrum of how people react to a certain stimulus and research such as this merely tries to find where the middle of the bell curve sits.
Rather than get worried about not being “in the norm”, I would celebrate being a “tails case”.
Being “normal” in today’s society means being out of shape and generally not that happy.
I say forget that!
These people should stick their twin study up their ass. Sounds like I haven’t exercised in two days. The routine of exercise or training is the best diversion or distraction. I am PTSD and exercise does a lot more good than psychopharmacology. My wife and I both find ourselves a little moody and melancholoy when we don’t get regular exercise. You can have all the simulations, studies and researches, but they don’t compare to active experience.
So I wonder… probably the only people reading your blog and responding to this post are those who do get positive reactions from exercise or they wouldn’t want to read an exercise blog… But maybe there are people (like my husband) whose bodies don’t respond positively to exercise, maybe he wouldn’t receive a relief in anxiety or depression.
There are people who love and thrive on daily intense exercise schedules and then there are people who never exercise, don’t gain weight, and don’t seem to care. I’ve always wondered how people can not find a brisk walk exhilerating or call a day complete without a trip to the gym. Just a thought.