When the pandemic began, I started out walking every day. I kept it up until the first cold of late fall in 2020. I have hardly walked, let alone exercised, since. I could list reasons why but they all come down to one reason: depression. Not exercising only leads to more of a downward spiral.
Exercise is good for the brain, “specifically for the circuits that keep you depressed,” according to neuroscientist Alex Korb. “Almost everything that depression causes can be combated by exercise.”
How can I get motivated to exercise? In his book (see resources below), Korb recommends planning to exercise by putting it on your calendar. “Planning activates the PFC, and checking it off the list releases dopamine,” he states.
Okay, I am reaching for my phone now. One second…
I just scheduled time for exercise on my phone’s calendar for tomorrow. I plan on doing a quick 15-minute yogalates, a mix of yoga and pilates developed by Louise Solomon. I am starting small as Korb recommends because I know it will work for me. I want exercising incorporated into my day for the long haul. Gone are the days when I would force myself to do an hour workout after a few years of not doing yogalates. That is all-or-nothing thinking. It doesn’t work for me.
By scheduling a time for exercise I set a goal. I made a decision, and making a decision helps the pre-frontal cortex (PFC) ignore “irrelevant distractions” and focus on finishing a goal. When we set a goal, the PFC changes the way the rest of the brain perceives things.
Another recommendation by Korb in his book is to focus on your values to reduce the brain’s stress response. I value myself and my body. I value myself enough to push through lethargy and exercise, even if just for 15 minutes a day. It’s a start. It’s a decision.
“Making a decision, even a tiny decision, starts shedding light on ways to improve your life. We are happiest when we decide to pursue a particular goal and then achieve it.” Alex Korb
My mind conjures up all sorts of negative thoughts about myself concerning exercise. The loudest thought is that I never stick to exercising. That is what Dr. Daniel Amen calls an automatic negative thought (ANT…isn’t that a handy little acronym?). I combat that thought by reminding myself that it is an example of the thinking error called fortune-telling. I remind myself that I can only take it day by day. And tonight, I have made my decision. I scheduled time for exercising.
My ANTs about exercising need an anteater. Let me walk you through my ant-eating process. It begins with reminders. I once thought I would never be able to meditate. Now, I meditate every morning. I thought the same thing about doing Bible study but I study the Bible every morning. I am reminding myself as I type this paragraph that I can begin new practices and make them stick.
Motivation doesn’t just get dropped upon us by God. It begins by making a decision and then scheduling time for that activity. Let us all make time for exercising this week and see how it helps us with depression. I’ll let you know next week how it goes…
This is the third part of a series on depression. Read the first part here, and the second part here.
This is the third part of a series on depression. Read the first part here, and the second part here.
RESOURCES
The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience To Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time by Alex Korb
The Upward Spiral Workbook by Alex Korb
Image by Jenia Nebolsina from Pixabay
I'm so glad you're meditating and exercising I've told you before you're digging your way out of your depression
✌ peace and love,
Sal
Putting 15 minute exercise in my calendar for tomorrow. Thank you dear Gina for doing this hard work to help us all. Love you and so proud of you. <3