Gym

[slobaspeed1]

is the gym self improvent thing actually real,or just cope?Will going to the gym somehow improve my mental situation?I kinda doubt it but willing to try anything at this point.

 

[Hvergelmir]

Being physically strong and capable can definitely improve your mental wellbeing! It'll make a lot of things slightly easier, and it provides a sense of physical safety.
For comparison a feeling of being weak and frail, could have adverse affects.

There are also the aspects of pride from the self improvement itself, and happiness with ones physical appearance.

 

[pyx]

I've been going to the gym for a couple of weeks now. I have found that it gives me structure, which helps with staving off feelings of ideation. There are also studies showing that it offers relief for depressed patients, particularly as a means of behavioural intervention. See here.

 

[LaughingGoat]

I don't lift nearly as much as I should, but can tell you my depression is significantly reduced when I am on a regular schedule.

 

[cryone]

yes, i think most people who've went to the gym generally improve their mental state. From personal experience, I can also say it helped. I believe the reason that going to the gym helps is not exactly b/c of satisfaction w/ appearance, but rather b/c the opportunity to actively experience discomfort. experiencing discomfort is acc a v important (and often ignored) step in mentally improving yourself. we r so accustomed to doing things that make us "feel good" momentarily, i.e. sleep in bed, rot in our rooms, etc instead of challenging ourselves. b/c of that, we never end up accomplishing anything.

additionally, going to the gym proves that we have some sort of control over our bodies, since the development of muscles and/or loss in weight is evident. v empowering when you feel powerless.

 

[ConfusedClouds]

For me personally, I find gym sessions give me benefits of varying amounts (also varies every week which ones have more relevance!)

*Kills time - especially in periods I'm not working. Mainly thinking more weights sessions where I end up staring into space a bit between sets.
*Gives me an explanation for the aches and pains I feel if moping about in bed/at home too much (DOMs)
*Sense of satisfaction with weight lifting - gradually gradually seeing numbers go up and feeling physically 'stronger' - sense of something I can actually do
*endorphins from cardio/interval sessions
*ability to use gym classes to minimise overwhelm of what to do in terms of exercise - having an instructor just tell me what exercises to do and having upbeat playlist already there to zone out to while training
*addition to weekly routine - knowing I need/want to fit in x number of sessions or a certain weights session to not lose out on my progress (e.g always making myself do an upper body weights and a lower body weights session minimum in a week)
*makes me be better with self care or less self neglect - feel like I justify a shower after a gym session, and need to change clothes more often/laundry, and also eat better to have energy to do the exercises/protein to recover but also not eat greasy/bad so I don't feel too tired/lethargic/heavy to be able to do the sessions.
*change of scenery and a kind of busy-yet-anonymous environment to hide in (although that is less so after months of being a regular in lots of classes where the instructors have got to know me) - still anonymous in terms of most other gym users.
*when am working/more social/chatty, gives suitable explanations as a 'hobby' that distracts from the fact I avoid social activities like parties/going out etc and answers any questions about 'what do you do'.

 

[Felodese]

Personally exercise gives me better physical health but, unlike my mental health, the physical one has always been fine. But as for my mental health, the best I can say is that sometimes strenuous aerobic exercise can help with my anxiety, at least in the moment.
And this is why I'm very tired of people telling me that diet and exercise alone would cure me, while making it sound like an amazing new revelation, that I must never have heard before, since I'mstill depressed...