Is Exercising Causing Your Depression?

While exercise is generally considered mood-boosting and beneficial for mental health, it's possible for some people to experience temporary decreases in mood, such as feeling down or irritable, immediately after a workout. This is often referred to as post-exercise blues or post-exercise malaise. Research has indicated that factors like high-intensity exercise, prolonged duration of exercise, strenuous activity without adequate preparation or recovery, intense mental stress during exercise, and individual differences in responses to exercise can contribute to these transient feelings of low mood.

However, it's essential to note that while post-exercise blues are a transient and temporary experience, clinical depression is a more severe and persistent mental health condition. Major depressive disorder, or clinical depression, is characterized by a persistent feeling of sadness, loss of interest or pleasure in activities, sleep disturbances, changes in appetite, decreased energy, and feelings of worthlessness or guilt that last for at least two weeks.

If you're experiencing symptoms of clinical depression, talk to a mental health professional. While exercise may be a helpful adjunctive therapy for depression, it's not a substitute for professional mental health care. A therapist can help identify the root causes of your depression and provide appropriate treatment.

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