When is it ok not to exercise?

sometimes if that's all
 you can manage
that's ok!

I have an interesting relationship with exercise.  I've always been quite an active person.  I don't drive so I walk a lot when the weather's decent. I currently go to the gym fairly regularly and do a mixture of cardio and weights but I've previously done ice-skating lessons and I have roller blades and I occasionally go for a run.  I can get very restless if I don't exercise and one of the reasons I'm not more of a reader is that I don't generally like sitting still! In episodes of depression, however, I find it difficult, exhausting and unpleasant and I struggle to do what might be considered a healthy amount of exercise.

On my nutrition course I learned about the devastating impact of sedentary lifestyles on our health.  I have seen it being described as on a par with smoking in terms of the damage it does. I currently work as a receptionist so spend a large proportion of my working day sitting on my bum and I think it has definitely taken its toll on my physical and mental health.  But whilst it's my job there's not an awful lot I can do other than getting up and moving occasionally and ensuring I have the correct posture and a lot of people are in a similar situation.  It's apparently impossible to counteract the negative effect of being sedentary by doing a few sessions at the gym, but nonetheless, it's still a good idea to find ways of being active where possible.

Exercise and mood

if somebody feels like
this, telling them
to exercise isn't
helpful

Although exercise can certainly help people with their mood, I often tire of people referring to exercise as an antidepressant, because that is misleading and incorrect.  As I said in one of my previous blogs, it shames people who have reached a point where they are unable to exercise and those who have physical disabilities that make exercise very difficult or impossible.  Some people with mild to moderate or maybe even occasionally severe depression might find exercise to be beneficial to their mood and an aid to recovery but it should not be assumed that this is the case for everyone.  A major depressive episode can feel like being hit by a tornado and sometimes the best thing to do is find shelter (metaphorically!).

I personally don't always find exercise to immediately boost my mood or give me a 'buzz' (unless I'm hypomanic!) but when for example, I had ice-skating lessons, learning a new skill and getting better at it at a steady pace was great for my self-esteem and that in turn can boost ones mood.

Are there instances when exercise can be doing more harm than good?

There are times when we're well but we can just feel a bit apathetic towards exercise because of bad weather, temporary bad moods or work issues but with a bit of a kick up the bum we can make ourselves exercise and reap the benefits.  Earlier this year the weather was absolutely miserable, I didn't want to leave my warm comfortable house to venture outside and I can't really exercise much at home due to lack of space.  But I knew I needed to lose some of the weight I put on over last year and burn off the excess calories from the comfort foods I didn't want to exclude! I managed to push myself to go to the gym 2-3 times per week and now I'm slowly achieving a healthier body composition and losing a few pounds.

just admit you don't like running
 and find something else!

On the other hand, there are many different reasons why we might be exhausted and our body just needs to recover.  Severe depression, anaemia, Chronic fatigue (ME), fibromyalgia, arthritis and Multiple Sclerosis are just a few examples of  chronic conditions that can cause exhaustion and/or pain and seriously hinder our ability to exercise.  Common colds, flu viruses and bugs can also seriously zap our energy.

me before one of my
3 runs of the year!

In some cases gentle exercises may be possible and it's definitely worth giving it a try if you're able to.  Other times it's better to preserve what little energy you have and allow your body to heal by taking some rest.  I've made my feelings about those 'what's your excuse' posts quite clear!  It is so important that we look after our physical and mental health and sometimes that means taking it easy. In other cases with a bit of a push or with gentle encouragement we can enhance our health, wellbeing and quality of life by incorporating exercise into our lifestyle.