While in depression, an individual always has this question with themselves, how to stay fit and healthy? Or how to get the body in shape? It might sound normal to everyone else, but it’s really a big task for a depressed person to come out of their comfort zone and work for their physical appearance. They get mentally tired by attending so many therapies and doctors that they don’t even feel like getting in shape.
But is this going to help you to overcome depression? Staying physically fit has lots of benefits when it comes to curing depression. If you do exercise regularly, you will get proper sleep, and your diet will become nutritious. Yet another advantage is endorphin levels, which increases because of physical activities.
Hence, take a step ahead and follow the below-given tips and tricks for getting in shape when you are depressed:
Build a realistic to-do list:
Give yourself some time, and prepare a realistic list for your day. Don’t end up getting too excited and just run 5-6 km in a single day. It can cause adverse effects on your mental health also because your body will not be able to take up this much in a day.
Also, unrealistic goals have a significant possibility of turning into a failure, and remember you want to do exercises to overcome your depression. Be real to yourself and make goals that are achievable.
Start jogging at normal pace:
Jogging is a basic exercise you can start before doing anything strenuous. Remember that you are not an athlete. Go for a 20 min jog instead of running 20 miles in a garden near your house.
Start slowly, and increase the speed and distance gradually. You can even get yourself a treadmill if you hate going outside and interacting with people.
Involve yourself in doing housework, especially sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming:
The main point to start doing physical activity is to get in shape. And it’s not necessary that jogging and exercising is the only way out. You can do some other chores as well in your home itself. And the best part of this trick is, you get fit, and your home gets cleaner and hygienic.
Start doing low-impact aerobics if you get bored of walking:
There are lots of low impact aerobics that you can start doing if you are a newbie or get bored with routine jogging. You can join a class nearby yourself, because there are many nowadays. Also, low impact aerobics contains elliptical cardio, which is a good exercise for your brain too.
Swimming is the best option:
Why walk on roads when you can dive deep into the water? You can boost your mood, improve your self-esteem, and sleeping pattern with swimming.
It’s a fun activity to do; you can join a club to catch up with new people. Swimming reduces the symptoms of depression a lot, and it’s the best exercise to get in shape for both men and women.
Do what you like, dancing, biking, gardening, or playing tennis:
So if you are not comfortable with jogging and swimming, then there are many options for you which can make you fit quickly. If you like dancing, then join a dance class; it will help you to increase and confidence and boost your mood dramatically.
Or else, you can do your back lawn gardening and start playing tennis there with your group of friends. Biking won’t help you lose weight, but it will boost your mood, and then you can keep your bike aside and go for a long walk.
Reward yourself for little achievements:
Little achievements matter a lot when you are in depression, and there are many reasons behind it. When a person is depressed, they don’t feel like going outside, and they face poor appetite. And if you make up a mood to do exercise even if you are depressed, then it’s a significant achievement in oneself.
Reward yourself with your favorite food or dress, so that you get encouraged to walk or jog a bit more the next day!
Find a jogging mate for you (a pup will work too):
Are you feeling lonely while walking or jogging on the road? Do you have social anxiety because of your depression? Don’t worry; if you hate humans, pets are always there for you.
Get yourself a cute Lil pup, who will encourage you to walk every day even in a depression. Spend some quality time caressing them, and you will feel happier than ever.
If you want to get in shape even in depression, then it is important to set up realistic goals. Daily rewards and support from your close ones will help you to recover from depression quickly. We have often seen that most of the patients feel happy and energetic because of which they get over depression rapidly. Hence, stick to your chosen exercise to-do list, and make your dream of staying fit to come true!