One of the best things a depressed person can do is step out the front door. Natural light is very beneficial, especially early in the day. Exercise has proven benefits. Something as simple as taking a walk or gardening can lift your mood.

I wrote about ecotherapy a few years ago, following a major report by Mind UK. According to the report there are four main reasons why “green exercise” is beneficial for mental health:

• Natural and social connections: watching wildlife, evoking good memories, spiritual feelings
• Sensory stimulation: colors and sounds, fresh air, enjoyment, escape from pollution, contrasts with urban life, being exposed to the weather
• Activity: using manual skills, physically challenging activities such as digging or cycling
• Escape from modern life: time to think and reflect, clear the head, get away from pressures and stress.

Visit Mind UK to read or download the full report: Ecotherapy – the Green Agenda for Mental Health.

During the week the excellent Mind Hacks blog pointed to an article in ScienceLine on the same topic. The article reviews the state of play in ecopsychology, and research into ecotherapy. While it’s not as gung-ho as the Mind UK report it still makes a pretty good read.

My key takeaway from the article was not about the science of ecotherapy, but that a whole genre of therapy has flown right under my radar. Wilderness therapy, adventure therapy, outdoor behavioral healthcare and extreme ecotherapy^TM. (Actually this last one is mine).

By the way, I’m a die-hard fan of Man vs Wild. It’s my only weekly TV commitment and watching it equips me with good survival skills. In my mind adventure, wilderness and therapy are made for each other. Even without a mid-life crisis this is something I can embrace. Later.

During the week author and friend Graeme Cowan added a post on his site, also on exercise and mental health. It lists a dozen websites that help with motivation and cater to different life scenarios. Graeme also referred me to Spark People a while back. I can’t stand their website (sorry Spark People), but I get their daily exercise tips by email and find them very helpful. They are always small, simple exercises that can integrate easily into a normal daily routine. Exactly where I’m at right now.

There is one other web service that I’m using called HassleMe. I receive 2 emails that I worded myself, at irregular intervals. The first one tells me that I have lousy posture – which makes me instantly sit up straight. The other tells me to take just one step outside. (The second step is always easier.)

Do you use online reminders or social websites to help motivate you? I’m interested to hear which ones help, so please share your experiences below.

This guest post was written by Leo Babauta from zen habits. Check out his other great posts on exercise by clicking here.

Just to note, I’m not a certified trainer. I’m just sharing stuff that’s worked for me. Also, some of this stuff is contradictory. That’s because you’re not supposed to implement all of them – just pick the ones you think will work for you, and give them a try. Good luck!

Top 42 Exercise Hacks

1. Start slow.The biggest mistake that people make when starting an exercise plan is starting too fast or too hard. Trust me, I’ve done it many times. I’ve learned to take it easy, start as small as possible, and worry about endurance or intensity later. The key in the beginning is to make it enjoyable and accomplishable. That’s probably not a word, but it should be. And it is now. Zen Habits are ones that are accomplishable.
2. Increase but gradually.After getting used to a certain level of exercise, you’ll want to increase it. Don’t just run two miles or walk 20 minutes three times a week for a year. Your body adjusts to the stress you’re giving it, so you need to increase the level once you’ve adjusted. But do it gradually, and only every two weeks or so.
3. Crank it up.Once you’ve gotten used to exercise, you’ll want to do some higher intensity ones for better fitness and fat-burning. For example, instead of running slowly and steadily, for a long time, try doing shorter bursts of fast running, with periods of rest in between. You can do this for any exercise. Higher intensity increases the calorie burn, and improves performance. But you can’t do it as long, and you shouldn’t do it every workout. Mix it in with endurance workouts.
4. Schedule workouts. Make appointments with yourself to workout, at a specific time and place, just as you would with any other appointment. And make it the most important appointment on your calendar – more important than a doctor’s visit or even the manicurist.
5. Make it a habit. If you can do exercise at the same time, every single day for a month, you are more likely to make it a habit. Consistency makes habits more ingrained. Once it’s a habit (and start easy in the beginning!), then you can step up the intensity a bit.
6. Forget about weight loss. Yeah, many of us would like to lose some weight. But if you’re motivated solely by weight loss, exercise will be a tough proposition. The reason is that you might not lose weight right away. Oh, it’ll come, if you can keep it up over time, but in the beginning you might be disappointed (especially if you haven’t changed your eating habits). Just get into the habit of exercise, and worry about the weight later. First things first.
7. Forget the gym. The gym can be horribly convenient, but it can also be intimidating for beginners, and confusing if you don’t know how to use the equipment. Sure, you can get a trainer to teach you, but if the cost or the confusion stops you from exercising – well, skip the gym and do it at home or at the park or somewhere less intimidating. You can do pushups and crunches and dumb bell exercises at home very easily, workout to a DVD, or go walking or jogging in your neighborhood. Cheap and simple is my motto.
8. Reward yourself. Self-explanatory, but rewards are best if they are frequent in the beginning. Be self-indulgent! Even sweets are good rewards – remember, get into the habit of exercise, and you can worry about weight loss later.
9. Do a 30-day Challenge. Challenge yourself, and see if you can rise to the occasion. Do it with a group or your significant other. Put in rewards. Tell everyone you’re doing it. Motivate the hell out of yourself.
10. Join an online group. One of the best motivators is having to report successes and failures to a group of people. Check out some online groups (there are groups for every type of exercise), introduce yourself, see which ones you’re comfortable with. Once you’ve gotten established (after a couple of days) see if you can post your results every day – you won’t go wrong once you start doing that.
11. Post your results on your blog. There’s nothing more motivating than positive public pressure (short of a gun to your head). Step it up by making a promise to your blog readers that you will commit to this goal for a month, and post your results every day. Even if your mom is your only blog reader, it’ll really help.
12. Do a journal. If you don’t post your results on your blog, write it in a journal, either online or on paper. However you set it up, make it a habit to post to your journal or log right away, as soon as you’re done with your log. It will motivate you to see your progress over time, and it’s a good way to see what you’re doing right and what you’re doing wrong.
13. Make it fun! Exercise doesn’t have to be a chore. I love doing a morning run, with the sun coming up, the world so quiet, my mind left to its own devices. Enjoy yourself and you will actually look forward to your workouts.
14. Fuel up. If your workout is more than 30 minutes, you really should have some energy in you. You shouldn’t work out on an empty stomach – but you also shouldn’t eat right before you work out. Eat a banana or some peanut butter toast or a ClifBar an hour or two before your workout, and you’re good to go.
15. Hydrate. Also an hour or two before you workout. Water is best. Use a sports drink during your workout (and after) only if you’re going to go an hour or more. If you’re going to do a tough workout, stay hydrated throughout the day. In fact, go ahead and do this whether you work out or not.
16. Get a workout buddy. Find someone at your level, and commit to working out a certain number of times a week together, at a certain time. This will make you more likely to keep that workout appointment, and workouts can be a lot of fun if you spend them chatting with your buddy. Just be sure to actually work out, and not just chat, Chatty McChatterson!
17. Get good clothes. Actually, you don’t need anything fancy to get started. But once you do start working out, it’s nice to get yourself some nice workout clothes, with breathable and comfortable fabrics, ones that look good on you. It’s motivating, and pleasurable. Make it so.
18. Put a cover model on your fridge. Not literally, of course, as that may be illegal, but find a good magazine photo of a model with the body you want, and post it up somewhere visible. You may never look like that model (heck, that model probably never really looks like that), but it’s motivating. Don’t pick a model that’s too good looking, or you may question your sexuality.
19. Change it up. Sure, walking or running every day can be a lot of fun. But getting some swimming or biking or strength workouts or aerobics or kickboxing into the mix can be a lot of fun, and can also help you get into better shape. They work out different muscles, and step up the metabolism. Variety is the spice of life and all that.
20. Do it early in the morning. My favorite time to work out is between 5:30 and 6:00 a.m. Plus, I know that if I work out at this time, nothing will get in the way of the workout later in the day. It’s a beautiful time of day, not too hot, and there’s nothing like showering and going to work knowing that I’ve put in a great exercise (and it allows me to feel superior and look down my nose at those lazy bums I work with).
21. Squeeze it in during lunch. OK, you’re not a morning person. You’re busy. You don’t have time to work out. Well, suck it up, buster, and sacrifice your lunch hour to the gods of fitness. Bring your workout clothes, do a quickie nooner, and be back at work ready to tackle the afternoon.
22. First thing after work. None of those options work for you? Not a problem, my friend. Make it a daily appointment to work out as soon as you get off work. This will also motivate you to finish your work on time so you can get out on time for your workout. It’s great to stop somewhere to do your workout before you even get home, because once you get home you’ll probably want to relax on the couch, fall asleep at the kitchen table, or rush to the computer to read the latest Zen Habits post.
23. A little and often. You don’t need to work out long, and you certainly don’t need to be a weekend warrior. Just 20-30 minutes every day. Who doesn’t have 20 minutes on their schedule. You? Well, scratch Walker Texas Ranger rerun off the schedule and make room for this instead.
24. Just lace up. Yeah, you’re dreading the upcoming workout. But don’t even think about it. Just lace up and head out the door. That’s all. After that, let nature take its course. Just relax and do what comes naturally. Which is exercise.
25. Join a race. Signing up for a 5K or a triathlon are my favorite motivators. It really gets me to do my workouts because if I don’t, I will look like a dork by collapsing 5 minutes after the starting gun goes off. But don’t worry about how you look – just go and have fun at these races – everyone else is worrying about themselves too much to notice you.
26. Get good gear. As a reward, get yourself some nice little gadgets – a sports mp3 player, a Polar heart rate monitor, a pedometer, a scale, a bike computer, whatever. Something cool that will make you look forward to your workouts.
27. Forget about the gear. Having said that, you don’t need any of that to actually work out. Just put on some cheap clothes and get out the door. Don’t let your lack of gear stop you, and for criminy’s sake, don’t go and buy all the gear before you actually start working out.
28. The 10 percent rule. Don’t increase your workout time or distance by more than 10 percent a week. This is a very conservative rule, and it can be broken by the best of the best, who know what they’re doing, but for the rest of us, stick with this to prevent burnout or injury.
29. Rest. It’s important. This is a commonly overlooked factor. If you don’t give your body some rest, you will burn out and get injured. Rest is just as important as the workouts in improving performance and fitness. As long as you’re doing the workouts too and not just the rest!
30. Hard, then easy. If you do a hard workout today, rest or go easy tomorrow. Don’t do two hard workouts in a row. The hard-easy approach can also work within a workout itself – run hard, then run slow, then run hard – you get the idea. This allows you to burn more fat than if you just run medium the whole time.
31. Listen to your body. This is extremely important – if you feel like you’re overdoing it, you probably are. Rest and allow your body to recover. And though you can run through some slight soreness or aches, you should stop as soon as you feel sharp pain or pain in the joints. You’ll just make it worse.
32. Strength is good. If you’re a walker or runner or cyclist or swimmer or something like that, you should also fit some strength training into your schedule. Nothing too intense, but just some core-strengthening exercises that will help your main sport as well as make you healthier and yes, more attractive.
33. Set goals. What are you trying to get out of your exercise? It’s good to know if you’re trying to build muscle or burn fat – because these are two competing goals. There are other goals, of course, but you should be clear what they are. Also, set goals for each week – what do you want to accomplish this week? Write it down, post it up, and see if you can meet them!
34. Take photos of yourself. Before and after photos. The best way to see your progress over time. But do it once a month, not every hour, you narcissist!
35. Workout first, diet later. If you’re just starting a workout plan, it’s best not to start a diet at the same time. Well, I don’t like diets in the first place, but still – one thing at a time. I’d prefer the workout first, and then worry about the diet after about a month of working out. You didn’t get fat overnight and you’re not getting skinny overnight either!
36. Star chart. Yeah, you know what these are. But they’re very motivating. Do a workout, put up a star. Fun!
37. Get a coach. You certainly don’t need one, but there’s nothing more motivating than a coach. Almost like a workout buddy, in that you are very likely to make the appointment, but less chatty and more knowledgeable. And if you’re going to learn swimming, a coach is a must. Yes, you can get a coach – there are master’s swimming classes at your local pool. Just sign up – they’re usually not that expensive.
38. Join the club. In my area, there is a great running club and a great cycling federation and triathlon federation. All of them sponsor races and Sunday rides and things like that where you can workout with a group and talk to more knowledgeable people. Well worth the small membership fee!
39. No pain – that’s good. Forget the old rule of “no pain, no gain”. You don’t need pain to get in shape. Just take it easy, progress gradually, and enjoy yourself.
40. Warm up. If you’re going to do any kind of exercise, don’t do it with your muscles cold. Gradually get your heart pumping and blood flowing. You’re less likely to injure yourself, and your workout will be more enjoyable.
41. On stretching. Sure, flexibility is important. But stretching out cold is a good way to get injured. If you’re going to stretch out before a workout, be sure to do so only after your warmup. Also, do not bounce. That’s another good way to tear your muscles. Do slow stretches and hold them without bouncing. Best of all: stretch after a workout, when your muscles are nice and loose.
42. Go for the long haul. Most of all, don’t think that you will become fit and healthy and sexy in one month. Think of exercise as a life-long habit, and your goals will come to you eventually. You’ll get there, my friend!

Depression is really a catch-all phrase for a broad spectrum of mood disorders. No two people suffering from depression will experience exactly the same symptoms and they won’t respond in exactly the same way to treatments. It is also a catch-all phrase used to describe different levels of severity in illness, and biological as well as non-biological disorders. This complicates its treatment enormously.

It is important to remember, when working through a resource list like this, that some things may work for you and others may not – a treatment for depression should start with professional help. Irrespective of this, it’s important to be involved in learning about your illness, including the treatments available. It seems that those who actively participate in their treatments have the most success in maintaining good health. Good luck!

THE BIG PICTURE

Large Website Resources
National Institute of Mental Health
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Medline Plus
MayoClinic.com
Blackdog Institute

Comprehensive PDF publications
National Institute of Mental Health
Mental Health Foundation – Dealing with Depression
HereToHelp – Depression Toolkit
Understanding Major Depression and Recovery

PDF Fact Sheets
Mind (National Association for Mental Health)
National Institute of Mental Health
SANE Australia
Black Dog Institute
Beyond Blue

Staying Well Plans
National Mental Health Information Center – Self-Help Guide
SANE Australia – Mental Illness and Keeping Well
Black Dog Institute – Ways of Staying Well
Sarah Russell – “Staying well with bipolar disorder”
(5th article from the top. Very applicable to depression.)

EVERYDAY LIFE

Exercise
MayoClinic.com – Depression and Exercise
Better Health – Depression and Exercise
MIND – The Mind Guide to Physical Activity
Mental Health Foundation UK – Up and Running!

Food
Mental Health Foundation – Healthy Eating and Depression
MIND – The Mind Guide to Food and Mood
MyPyramid.gov – Healthy Diet Plan

Stress Management and Relaxation
MIND – The Mind Guide to Managing Stress
MIND – The Mind Guide to Relaxation
Families for Depression Awareness – Coping With Stress

Sleep
HelpGuide – Tips for a Good Night Sleep
National Sleep Foundation – All About Sleep

TRUSTED BOOKS (links to Amazon)

Dealing with Depression: A Commonsense Guide to Mood Disorders

Living Well with Depression and Bipolar Disorder: What Your Doctor Doesn’t Tell You…That You Need to Know (Living Well)

The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook

A Lifelong Journey: Staying Well With Manic Depression/bipolar Disorder

Loving Someone With Bipolar Disorder

PHYSICAL TREATMENTS

Medicines
National Alliance on Mental Illness – Information on Specific Medicines
Drug Digest – Information on Specific Medicines
National Institute of Mental Health – Detailed Information on Types of Medicines
Beyond Blue – Brief Introduction to Types of Medicines
MayoClinic – Brief but Helpful video on Understanding Antidepressants

Electroconvulsive therapy
MayoClinic.com Overview
MayoClinic.com Video
infrapsych

Vagus Nerve Stimulation
MayoClinic.com – VNS: A New Depression Treatment Option

Transcranial magnetic stimulation
National Alliance on Mental Illness – TMS
MayoClinic.com – TMS: An experimental depression treatment

PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENTS

Overview
APA – How Psychotherapy Helps People Recover From Depression
APA – How to Find Help Through Psychotherapy
Mental Health Foundation – We Need to Talk PDF

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)
National Alliance on Mental Illness – About CBT Treatments
National Association of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapists
MoodGym program – free online CBT course
Living Life to the Full – free online CBT course
liveandworkwell.com – Steps to Change: free online CBT course

ALTERNATIVE, COMPLEMENTARY AND SELF-HELP TREATMENTS

Overview
Healthy Place
National Mental Health Information Center
New Hope – Natural Remedies for Depression
Introduction to Dietary Supplements

Bibliotherapy
Holistic Online – Bibliotherapy

Omega-3
Medline Plus
Black Dog Institute – The Role of Omega-3 Fatty Acids as a Treatment for Bipolar Disorder
(Online presentation also applicable to unipolar depression)

Vitamin B6
National Institute of Health – Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet
Medline Plus

Vitamin B12
National Institute of Health – Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet
Medline Plus

SAMe
Drug Digest – Article on SAM-e

DHEA
Medline Plus – DHEA Overview
MedPage Today – DHEA Effective for Midlife-Onset Depression

Ginkgo Biloba
Medline Plus – Ginkgo Overview
NCCAM – Herbs at a Glance: Ginkgo

St John’s Wort
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine – St John’s Wort
Drug Digest – St John’s Wort

Light therapy
MayoClinic – Seasonal Affective Disorder
PsychEducation.org – Light Therapies for Depression

Yoga
Better Health Channel – General Article on Yoga
The MIND Guide to Yoga

Aromatherapy
Holistic Online – Depression Remedies
Wavelengths Natural Therapy – How to use Aromatherapy for Depression
depression-guide.com – Depression and Aromatherapy

Massage therapy
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Medline Massage Therapy Interactive Tutorials

Spirituality
Mental Health Foundation – The Impact of Spirituality on Mental Health

Creative Therapies
American Art Therapy Association
American Music Therapy Association
American Dance Therapy Association

Acupuncture
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Acupuncture.com – Depression and the Five Elements

Meditation and Relaxation
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
MayoClinic online meditation video
MayoClinic Relaxation Techniques

Progressive Relaxation, Guided Imagery and Autogenic Relaxation
Calming.org
McMaster University – Relaxation: Physical and Mental

Ecotherapy
Mind (National Association for Mental Health)

Keep this list expanding! If you have another resource that you’d like to share please add it in the comments.

This is the 2nd of 4 articles on exercise, to be posted over 4 weeks. The first article is “The Exercise and Mental Health Link“.

Research shows that one of the most popular treatments for depression – according to clinicians, researchers and patients – is exercise. The problem with exercise is that it’s very hard to start, or once started, very hard to continue to form a habit. If you’re like me you have a treadmill, a bike, or some kind of gym apparatus collecting dust in a corner of your house.

Here are some ideas to help.

1. Start slowly and set small goals. Aim for things that you can achieve, like walking for 10 minutes each day. If you go for a complete training program straight away then you are more likely to fail. I make this mistake all the time. I plan an elite-style exercise regime, then quietly concede a few weeks later that it never got off the ground.

2. Make exercise a habit. If you start slowly you are more likely to continue. Once you’re over the “exercise hump” – say the first couple of weeks – you will be well on the way to a healthy habit.

3. Do something you enjoy. This will help to associate exercise with positive feelings. Shoot baskets, go for a swim, or walk laps of the local mall. (But remember that ecotherapy is better than shopping center exercise). A symptom of depression and other mood disorders is a loss of pleasure in things that you once enjoyed. If you start and persist with an exercise that you used to enjoy, the pleasure is likely to return.

4. Exercise with other people. Exercise is very hard to start and then continue on your own. Especially if you have a strong gravitational force that prevents you from getting up. You are much more likely to succeed if there is a commitment involved, like a set of expensive aerobics classes, walking with a friend once a week, or hiring a personal trainer to cheer you on.

5. Rethink your attitude to exercise. Exercise is essential for keeping your body and mind healthy. It provides huge benefits to you, that can make a vast difference to your mental well-being. Exercise can also be enjoyable and bring a great sense of achievement or satisfaction. If you develop a positive attitude towards exercise you will find it easier to commit time to it.

6. Is anything else stopping you? Many of us have other barriers to activity, like self-consciousness. There are many different ways to exercise, so find one that you’re comfortable with. Don’t use it as an excuse that just prevents better health.

7. Build your exercise into a task. On the weekend I surprised myself by pulling down a fence (intentionally). Actually I only pulled down most of it – if I finished it in one day my wife would have been suspicious. Anyway, it was a lot of effort to pull it down. A lot of exercise. It is also exercise to walk the dog, or mow the lawn, or wash the car. If you combine your exercise with a task then you will have twice the satisfaction when it’s over.

8. Be reasonable. Exercise and depression don’t seem to go together, just as swimming against the tide doesn’t really work. Don’t be hard on yourself when things don’t go to plan. Give yourself full credit for your successes and keep persevering to form a strong habit.

“I have to exercise in the morning before my brain figures out what I’m doing.”
Marsha Doble

“I gotta work out. I keep saying it all the time. I keep saying I gotta start working out. It’s been about two months since I’ve worked out. And I just don’t have the time. Which uh..is odd. Because I have the time to go out to dinner. And uh..and watch tv. And get a bone density test. And uh.. try to figure out what my phone number spells in words.”
Ellen DeGeneres

“The trouble with jogging is that the ice falls out of your glass”
Martin Mull

This is the first of 4 articles on exercise, to be posted over the coming 4 weeks

About 5 years ago, during a long spell of health, I rode my bike everyday for up to two or three hours. My swan song was riding about 90 miles in a day, from one city to the next. I felt good, I looked healthy and my depression was under control.

Is there a link between exercise and mental health?

We all know that exercise benefits us physically, but there is also solid evidence that it benefits the mind. It is an effective treatment for depression. Most research is focused on the benefits for people who have mild or moderate depression, however there is also strong evidence that it is a very effective way to head-off a relapse of severe depression. A recent survey by the Black Dog Institute found that patients considered exercise to be the most helpful non-medical treatment option (see the previous post on “What Works for Depression“).

An inactive lifestyle increases the risk of depression, and depression increases the likelihood of an inactive life. The problem is getting up and going when you’re depressed. I know how hard it is. I’ve hardly touched my bike in 5 years!

So what are the specific benefits of exercise?

Exercise increases the serotonin levels in the brain, releases endorphins (“feel good” hormones), improves cardiovascular fitness, reduces cholesterol, reduces blood pressure, helps maintain a healthy weight and improves muscle tone.

Some other good reasons to exercise are:

• it gives you more of a sense of owning your own treatment
• it gets you out and about and meeting people e.g. walking with friends or playing a team sport
• it uses up adrenalin which reduces your stress levels
• it provides distraction from the negatives in your life and unhelpful patterns of thinking
• it tends to be less expensive than most other treatments
• there are no side-effects, except perhaps injury, compared with the many that can be experienced with medication.

There really is no excuse to not exercise. The trick is…how to start? Stay tuned!