Physical activity has many benefits for the body. Practices such as yoga, hiking or running also provide well-being that helps resist the effects of depression.
It is well known: practicing sport is beneficial for your health. While the benefits for the body are beyond doubt, the benefits of physical activity for mental health are still the subject of various studies around the world. But certain disciplines are particularly highlighted for overcoming depression.
The explanation lies in the brain, which secretes dopamine and endorphins during physical exercise. These substances will create a feeling of euphoria and well-being.
A study from the University of Southampton showed in 2009 that practicing physical activity reduces depressive symptoms by acting on mechanisms such as self-esteem, but above all self-efficacy and positive affects (the ability to better perceive positive sensations and emotions).
Read also: Do you have hidden depression? Here are six signs that should alert you
Gentle practices
Gentle forms of bodybuilding, such as yoga or Pilate, allow you to work on breathing while strengthening the deep muscles. They promote flexibility and reduce stress, hence the benefits for depressed people.
“When you are in a state of calm, in the middle of a yoga session, breathing is much deeperexplained Claire Prioux, yoga teacher near Saint-Malo (Ille-et-Vilaine), in 2022. Thus, the practitioner will have better muscle relaxation, better circulation at the lymphatic level, better lubrication of the tendons and nerves. The body will relax and soften. In addition, the mind will also be more relaxed and the person, ultimately, less stressed. »
Outdoor disciplines
Outdoor sports are not left out. Walking and hiking, like running, help combat depression. “Against stress, too, physical activity has a very positive effect, because there is more dopamine and a stimulation of serotonin (the neurotransmitters of reward and happiness). Besides, you notice that when you want to clear your head, running relaxes you”underlined Martine Duclos, head of the sports medicine department at Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital, in 2016.
Whatever the discipline chosen, resuming physical activity is a first step in fighting depression. As much for the physical benefits as for the feeling of well-being. “It plays on trust, toosupports Martine Duclos. We feel in good shape, we realize that it is good for our body, so we are less depressed, we are less self-deprecating. »
