Depression takes different forms depending on the nature of the person; its intensity is also variable, as are its causes. Now, to get out of a depression, the determining factor is the patient’s own will to fight it. There is no magic formula to overcome it. Now, it is known that sport acts directly to neutralize its symptoms and prevent it from being chronically prolonged. In addition to psychological therapy, there are other interesting resources to help people with depression overcome it .
Getting out of depression: how sports and nutrition help
The mix of sports and a balanced diet has been shown to be an invaluable help in getting out of depression. The third parameter, rest , is closely related to both.
If you want to avoid depression or neutralize its effects without going to pills, modify your habits and behaviors to incorporate sports and physical activity as part of your day to day; always accompanied by a good Mediterranean diet .
How to get out of a depression thanks to sports
Hundreds of studies have shown the relationship between sport and physical activity in the prevention of depression , as well as a notable factor in improving the symptoms of the disease. Just thinking about how to get out of a depression is a big step for many patients. How is this possible?
Sport releases endorphins, the happiness hormone
When you play sports, endorphins, the greatest natural antidepressant, are released. These endorphins cause that after stopping, you feel an effect of well-being and relaxation that helps you fall asleep better , one of the main side effects of depression and anxiety. Good sleep and rest elevate our mood.
Helps clear the mind
Exercise has the ability to prevent us from going around the same thing continuously. When you live with depression, this obsessing over something is more persistent. Exercising regularly prevents us from focusing all thoughts on these obsessions.
With both active, and the sports that we are going to show next, you will feel better inside and out : your health is strengthened, you improve physically, and you face the challenges with more psychological tools.
However, to acquire all these benefits it is not essential to choose sports of high complexity and greater effort than we can do. Going for a fast walk for at least 30 minutes has the same effect.
The best sports to fight depression
Beyond walking, when choosing which sport to practice to avoid depression , the ideal is to choose according to your own preferences to feel the motivation and confidence to maintain it over time.
If, for example, you are a person who likes to exercise alone, you can go for a run and combine it with simple exercise routines to do at home. Of course, there are options to have a training professional at home or, if you dare, at the gym.
For people with depression who feel more wrapped up in company, it is advisable to practice team sports , such as tennis or paddle tennis, cycling with other people or going for a run with other runners . This group exercise dynamic is also advisable for those people with depression who have abandoned their motivation and exercises by trying alone.
Dancing, yoga or pilates, between play and the search for well-being
Other sports and activities that help you get out of depression are dancing, yoga, or practicing Pilates . Dancing gets you to exercise your body, focus on movements, avoiding negative thoughts, and add music, which also helps improve the mood of depressed people.
Both Pilates and yoga get you to have a greater knowledge of the body, its needs and what helps it more or less.
Sedentary lifestyle, one of the activators of depression
Although it is true that an inactive life or sedentary lifestyle is not usually considered as one of the causes of depression , this habit takes the mental illness to a greater depth, more difficult to combat. Collaterally, sedentary life implies the absence of social relationships , which leads to problems to socialize that deepen the effect of depression.
Diet, also key to fighting depression
Faced with an episode of depression, there is always the risk that anxiety will lead us to the regular consumption of so-called “comfort foods” , those foods that activate the hormonal reward to feel temporary well-being.
These foods are rich in refined sugars, saturated fats, salt, and numerous additives and preservatives.
Foods that help overcome depression
Do all foods play the same role in how to avoid or fight depression? The diet that most influences this pathology has to take care of the intestinal microbiota , which is where the serotonin that influences well-being is produced. Thus, foods with probiotics and prebiotics such as the following must be included in the diet:
- Blue fish, which are a source of omega-3 fatty acids, zinc and tryptophan that help transform food into serotonin.
- Lean meats , which add significant amounts of vitamin B.
- Eggs , and more specifically the yolk, which in addition to protein also provides vitamin B.
- Dairy products , which are responsible for nourishing us with calcium and magnesium.
- Legumes , a source of iron and nutrients such as tryptophan.
- Whole grains and nuts .
- Seasonal fruits , which provide vitamins, calcium and magnesium.
- Seasonal vegetables .
- Dark chocolate (in moderation).
Thus, we can affirm that in order to get out of a depression, in addition to turning to professionals to set a guideline that we can follow, we must use tools to learn to manage emotions and thoughts.
An important and significant part of the treatment for depression that should always be prescribed is the practice of sports and change of eating habits towards the Mediterranean diet.
