Proper Exercise To Help Cure Depression?

Can a proper exercise save you from depression? A study of University of California at Davis Medical Center found that exercise may help people with depression cope the struggle.

33-year-old Knoxville woman Heather Troupe said that proper exercise has helped her cope the struggle with despression, Washington Post reports.

Troupe is now a fitness instructor. She was diagnosed with chronic severe depression and a prescription for an antidepressant at the age of 16. She began using elliptical machine for the hope that she can sweat away what was ailing her.

Just like Troupe, Erika Howder of Arlington, Vancouver said helped her survived postpartum depression she developed after having her first baby about 14 years ago. She made visited a therapist for help just a few weeks after that birth. While she was waiting for the date of her appointment, she decided began to run on a treadmill. "

I felt an improvement almost immediately," Howder said. "I know I could have tried meds, but most have side effects. Running gave me the antidepressant I needed without any other issues." She canceled her appointment and never looked back," she added. After that, she decided to cancel her appointment.

A group of researchers at the University of California at Davis Medical Centre found that exercise increased the level of the neurotransmitters glutamate and GABA, a chemical messenger that is distributed in the brain, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

The study of University of California researchers examined 38 healthy volunteers who rode stationary bicycles. They used a type of advanced MRI scanning to measure GABA and glutamate levels in the brain immediately before and after the exercise sessions.

The result showed that neurotransmitter increases in parts of the brain that process visual information and help regulate heart rate, emotions and even some cognitive functions.

A professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and lead author of the study, Richard Maddock, hopes the findings of their study will encourage more doctors and patients to consider exercise as therapy for depression and even postpartum.

"It's becoming more accepted, but there hasn't been enough research in this area to make people confident," Maddock said.