exercise is medicine

I've been trying to workout more. Not just to lose weight and look better (although the way I look right now definitely makes me feel like crap), but also to feel better in general.

This morning I had a chance to go for a walk/run. Normally I exercise very sporadically, and usually at night since that's when it's the most convenient. I  never noticed much difference in my moods the next day. But today was different; I felt really energized mentally throughout the day. I ran errands and kept up with the kids in a way that I usually am not able... It really was like I'd taken an energy pill or something. I say energy but mean it to refer to my state of mind, not so much physical although I did feel some of that too. Of course I still had some struggles with the usual things but overall I definitely noticed, and my husband noticed, today I was different. 

I've only ever had 1 doctor get on my case about exercise during a depression. The other therapists and even the 1 psychiatrist never said anything - trying to stay in business I suppose. But it is so hard to motivate myself to do anything like that, especially when depressed or absorbed by mental crap. And I know exercise is medicine in so many ways - It's what I studied in college. Sometimes it is just so hard to do what we know we ought to do. Many people just don't understand what that means coming from a depressed person or someone who suffers with depression. I've had people tell me to just snap out of it ... as if. 

I am a little worried thinking that this might just be a fluke. But like I said, I'm pretty tired with the way I look right now so I've got that as another motivator to get off my arse. And I'm a little concerned that perhaps my internal clock will only respond positively to exercise when I do it in the morning, which will be a bit of a struggle considering I am so not a morning person. Ugh, I am SO not a morning person.