Depression and the gym

[karanets]

Hello. I am currently going through some rough times in my personal life and am having a hard time giving myself the strength to make it to the gym. Anyone else feel crappy and make themselves go? Help.

[Scott_32]

Coffee, lots and lots of coffee. And you know you'll feel even worse for not going. Why add to it, just get up and go.

[anb1683]

I force myself everyday...granted I'm not depressed everyday, but I did go through my slump like a few weeks ago....the only thing that made me feel better was the gym. You just have to remind yourself about what it does for you. After I workout I feel great, I'm happy, I have no stress, I feel good, bla bla bla, so anytime I feel like I'm depressed or I don't want to go I remind myelf of how I feel ater. Once I get there Im usually fine. If I get there and Im still depressed, I'll tell myself to start working out and if I still feel crappy after ten minutes then I can leave...usually after ten minutes I'm into it or to embarrassed to leave after only being there for ten minutes LOL

[DonMegaR]

The odd thing is that when I'm depressed or anxious Golds is the 1st place you will find me. Always been an outlet, its good for the soul you should just get in there.

[MissThing]

Hello. I am currently going through some rough times in my personal life and am having a hard time giving myself the strength to make it to the gym. Anyone else feel crappy and make themselves go? Help.

once you get going a build up a sweat you'll feel better for the rest of the say, even longer.

Are you determined to get out of your depression? Hard excercise will help you get there. Remember that when you feel low. I feel almost like a new person after just a few short months.

[DonMegaR]

I force myself everyday...granted I'm not depressed everyday, but I did go through my slump like a few weeks ago....the only thing that made me feel better was the gym. You just have to remind yourself about what it does for you. After I workout I feel great, I'm happy, I have no stress, I feel good, bla bla bla, so anytime I feel like I'm depressed or I don't want to go I remind myelf of how I feel ater. Once I get there Im usually fine. If I get there and Im still depressed, I'll tell myself to start working out and if I still feel crappy after ten minutes then I can leave...usually after ten minutes I'm into it or to embarrassed to leave after only being there for ten minutes LOL

Wonderful.

[ashley2212]

The odd thing is that when I'm depressed or anxious Golds is the 1st place you will find me. Always been an outlet, its good for the soul you should just get in there.

x2

[paulpfiction]

The odd thing is that when I'm depressed or anxious Golds is the 1st place you will find me. Always been an outlet, its good for the soul you should just get in there.

im the same way...cause built up depression leads to anger for me...which leads to me needing to go to the gym

[anb1683]

Anger helps me too. i was reading an article in a fitness magazine that says that you shouldn't lift when you are angery, you can get injured that way and just stick to cardio. I'm most successful on my cardio when I am angry and lifting usually...

[paulpfiction]

i hate hate hate hate ahte hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate cardio

[anb1683]

I do too, but I have to do it.

[limniade]

If I'm having a rough time personally, I find that the gym is a nice way to spend some "me" time where I don't have to think about what's going on in my life. Plus, endorphins are nice too. You could think of it less as a chore and more like pampering yourself. :)

[Karsk]

Uhm... I just get changed into my gym clothes... usually I feel stupid enough getting changed for no reason that I end up going there. Of course, sometimes you just have to take time off... You could go for a run outside, or something. Just because you're not in a gym doesn't mean you're not imrpoving yourself on some level.

Lifting weights when you're angry is only good when you focus on what you're doing... if you're really, really angry... I've found a punching bag works. On the downside, the last time I tried this for a few particularly frustrating weeks, it did not go so well. My training partner now curls into a fetal position upon hearing the words 'punching' and 'bag'...

In hindsight... piss poor aim is probably one of those things you should tell people about beforehand.

[LiftingIsLife]

In hindsight... piss poor aim is probably one of those things you should tell people about beforehand.

the funniest, yet truest thing i've read on here in a long time!! :)

reps...

~lifer

[LiftingIsLife]

If I'm having a rough time personally, I find that the gym is a nice way to spend some "me" time where I don't have to think about what's going on in my life. Plus, endorphins are nice too. You could think of it less as a chore and more like pampering yourself. :)

ABSOLUTELY!! at differing times in my long life, when things got stressful,
or worse, depressing, the gym was the best outlet i had.
this is NOT just opinion. medical science has PROVEN that exercise, moderate to taxing, is a wonderfully effective combatant to stress AND
depression.

hope things 'workout' (pun intended) for the OP,
Best,
~lifer

[Geno]

I force myself every day. You see, it hurts. It hurts a lot and it hurts every single time. I know that I will be weaker if I miss a workout however so I very rarely do.

[Blake Austin]

I'll play the other side of the coin from the above responses.

OP, if you're feeling crappy and having personal issues, then these things can weigh on your mind during your workout, and thus produce a horrible crappy workout.

So take a day or two or three off from working out, give yourself a rest, figure out/decide what you need to do about your issues, and then come back into the gym fresher, hungrier, and stronger.

Good luck.

[Constantina]

When i was depressed i forced myself to go to the gym. But was a lot better than stay at home.

[frolik]

what works for me:

pop the daily happy pill, then physically drag my ass away from the moldy pizza and jar of nutella, outside to fresh air, down the street to the gym, and over to the free weights.


seriously, lifting has made me feel so much better than any antidepressant ever has. It's actually gotten to the point where going to the gym in the morning is the single easiest way to prevent an attack of depression later. On a related note, I want to thank everyone on these boards for their general support- weightlifting and fitness, (regardless of progress or lack thereof), a lot of which is on suggestions from people here, is (slowly) (but surely) helping me to kick my depression in the ass.

[teenyP]

a lot of the times i go to the gym, i'm tired or feel like crap, but i still force myself to get there anyway...

i usually end up having a better workout because it it...I find if i'm in a bad mood or stressed, it actually ends up taking my mind off of things and usually motivates me to push myself even more..

[LadyLike]

You'll never regret a workout. Get there and you'll feel better. Just don't beat yourself up. Make a pumping playlist maybe? When I'm feeling down I just need to throw on some Pussycay Dolls or Fergie and shake my ass. Give it a shot. :)

[goddessamazon]

Believe it or not going to the gym will make you feel better. Especially afterwards.

Lifting weights is my prozac. :D

[Sar-Wah]

Someone on these forums has this in their sig so I hope they don't mind me quoting it again:

The Iron is the best anti-depressent (or something like that!)

But in saying all that and although I usually agree with the theory that the gym cures all evils.... I am probably going to skip my training tonight, in favour of going to the movies with some people from work.... I have had a crappy few weeks and they are trying to make the effort to help me out. Who knows maybe a funny movie & some companisionship will be a good thing :)

[nockowt1]

I think the first thing you should do is ask yourself if you really like working out or do you just go to the gym because you have to. If you don't enjoy working out going to the gym when depressed probably won't help you. What I recommend is that you find something you enjoy doing to take your mind off things for a while and then get back in the gym when your ready.

[lulublue]

going to the gym always makes me feel better,
If you are depressed about your body it works wonders too although i know how hard it can be even to just leave the house on bad days.

The only way i got over it was to either just force myself out and know i will feel better once i do or give myself a day or two to come around, know that the longer you wait the worse you may feel about not going too

[thenewchamp]

Hello. I am currently going through some rough times in my personal life and am having a hard time giving myself the strength to make it to the gym. Anyone else feel crappy and make themselves go? Help.

I cannot express how rewarding it is to drag yourself into the gym when you don't feel like going...the world could be coming to an end and you don't want to walk through the doors but once your done...Youl'll feel so much better.

The most rewarding time When I'm pissed or depressed, the weight room is the first place that I hit. I don't feel like being their but after the first set I'm energized. I put on music and put everyone else out of my world. I'll hit the weights hard to the point of sheer exhaustion.

Keep your head up...you'll get through this but don't let it control you.

[hYn WaHiNe]

get up and stay out of bed

keep busy

keep a solid routine throughout the day

go to the gym at the same time daily

run errands at the same time daily

watch out for "down time"--this is a seductive way to get stuck in one's brain

keep busy. keep social. keep external. Don't hit the sack until ready to collapse from the day.

I battled depression through my 20s and thankfully outgrew/got through it over the last ten years. Keeping to the above philosophy is what helped me do so. I never had the guts to go to a Dr and get an Rx. I don't know if that was what got me through it slower or quicker, but that was my journey.

Bless you.

aloha,
Wahine

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edited because I just realized that this was my 100th post, and being the Female Misc, I have a sense of duty to provide pics of See's Candies or something, but I don't know how to embed pics. ;)

[karanets]

Thanks so much everyone for your advice! I made it to the gym today and do feel a little better... =)

[beby24]

i hate hate hate hate ahte hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate cardio

lol, me toooooooooooooooo but no way around it....

[beby24]

Thanks so much everyone for your advice! I made it to the gym today and do feel a little better... =)

I know I have been there.....believe me...but and when i get to the gym I still dont want to be there, but when I am finally done, I feel so much better....on less thing to do or worry about...

its worst when you dont feel good and then stop doing the things you normally do...it all gets backed up and sometimes feels harder to get back on track...