train-your-body-header

Health Topics A-Z

3

5

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

Y

Z

Exercise as Antidepressant? You Bet!

From the Show: Train Your Body
Summary: Exercise can actually reduce the need for medications and improve the out look for people suffering from clinical depression.
Air Date: 3/5/13
Duration: 10
Host: Melanie Cole, MS
Guest Bio: Lynette L. Craft, PhD
Lynette craftDr. Lynette Craft is currently the Vice President for Evidence Based Practice and Scientific Affairs at the American College of Sports Medicine. In addition, she is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, at Northwestern University. She completed her PhD in Kinesiology at Michigan State University and post-doctoral training in Health Psychology at Boston University School of Medicine. Her research focuses on the use of exercise as an adjunct to traditional treatments for clinical depression and the mechanisms underlying the exercise-depression relationship. This has included studies examining psychosocial factors predictive of exercise participation among depressed women, the use of home and facility based exercise interventions to alleviate depressive symptoms, and studies examining psychological factors that moderate the exercise-depression relationship. Most recently Dr. Craft has examined the effects of exercise on the cancer-related symptom cluster of depression, pain, and fatigue in breast cancer survivors.
Exercise as Antidepressant? You Bet!
Depression is commonly treated with antidepressants and/or psychotherapy, but for some people, alternative approaches such as exercise may reap benefits that far outweigh the side effects of medications.

Many studies show that people who exercise regularly benefit with a more positive out look and far lower rates of depression.