Workout And Words For February - Can Welded Cure Depression?

Can a training program like Welded help to cure depression? This is the question I asked Faraaz Merchant a local psychiatrists and Double Edge member after a workout last week, his response surprised me. Faraaz explained to me that there has been an significant amount of studies that have shown the benefit exercise can have on depression. After discussing more in detail I felt it was something that should be shared with everyone. Below you will find Farraz’s article on exercise and depression, it might make you think twice about the pharmaceutical industry and whether or not to hit the gym!

EXERCISE BETTER THAN ANTIDEPRESSANTS FOR TREATING DEPRESSION?

In the United States, 1 in 5 women and 1 in 8 men will suffer from an episode of Major Depression in their lifetime. In the last 10 years the use of antidepressants has skyrocketed with 1 in 10 Americans now taking antidepressant medications and among women in their 40s and 50s the figure is 1 in 4. In 2013 antidepressants were the most prescribed class of medication in the United States.

The effects of depression can be significant including increasing the risk of suicide but it can also disrupt our personal lives, make it harder for our bodies to recover from illness, increases the risk for substance abuse and deteriorates our ability to perform our jobs effectively.

A growing school of thought in psychology and psychiatry is producing studies and evidence through clinical trials showing that people with major depression who regularly exercise get better at the same rate as they do with antidepressants.

…. Research on the subject has demonstrated that:

10 months of regular, moderate exercise created better outcomes and outperformed a leading antidepressant (Zoloft) in alleviating symptoms in young adults
The same participants in the above study were followed for 6 months after the initial study concluded and it was found that people who exercised regularly but didn’t take the antidepressant medication were much less likely to have their depression symptoms return. Only 8% in the exercise-only group had their depression return, while 38% of the drug-only group and 31% of the exercise-plus-drug group relapsed
30-minute aerobic exercise performed 3-5 times a week decrease depressive symptoms in young adults by 50 percent
One study in older adults showed that physical activity was more effective than antidepressants to combat depression

Clearly exercise has a tremendous effect on depression and has the potential to work just as well, if not better than antidepressants to treat depression. So the next time you’re feeling down you might want to think about making an appointment with the gym as well as with your psychiatrist.

Faraaz Merchant DO

Psychiatry Resident

University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine

GROUP CLASS WORKOUT

Warm Up:

10 burpees

2 Rounds 15 PVC PT, 8 push-ups, 15 air squats

Finish with 10 burpees

Strength:14 Power Cleans @85% (1 Every 45 seconds)

Metcon:
4 Rounds3 Min AMRAP

3 Burpee Pullups

4 Box Jumps 30/24

5 Deadlifts 185/125

6 Push-ups

Rest 1 Minute

Foundational
4 Rounds3 Min AMRAP

3 Burpee to rig

4 Step Ups

5 Deadlifts

6 Push-ups

Rest 1 Minute

Mobility:

Pre – Banded Bully (pg. 268)

Post – Bilateral Shoulder Flexion w/ pvc pipe (pg.259)

SKILLS CLASS

Pull up variations

The “Dip and Rip”