Saturday, July 09, 2005

Attention Depressed People

Get off your rump and move! While a relationship between regular vigorous exercise and relief from depression has been known for a long time, a more recent study indicates that 3 hours of vigorous exercise per week IS AS EFFECTIVE AS ANTI-DEPRESSANT MEDICATIONS and THERAPY in helping with depression!

"...the response and remission rates in the (three-hours-per-week) group are comparable to other depression treatments, such as medication or cognitive behavioral therapy."

Of course, consult your doctor and all of that jazz. I'm not responsible for your suicide if exercise don't work for you. I, of course, recommend Karate. Here's why: Other activities like running, jumping rope, weight-lifting, etc. can be so boring because you're doing the same thing over and over and over. But something like Karate, or boxing even, involves doing many many many different exercises (including some running, strength training, etc.), and so the "I got bored of it" factor is not as strong as in the other activities. Plus, it's one of those activities that people of all shapes and sizes can do -- we got buff-athletes, skinny geeks, 80 year old ladies, police officers, overweight guys and gals, and 6 year old kids, and everyone in between, all doing karate and having a blast. And apparently they're all getting benefits equivalent to the benefits of therapy and medication!

Now get up and go do something, would ya?

Oh, and leave a comment letting us know your favorite exercise activities!

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