Questions re: Gym membership and/or excercise in general...

Lou, that's a BRILLIANT photo

Originally Posted by Lou M

Exercise is a good answer, but as I've said before, depression is a chemical defiency of the brain, and sometimes you just need medication to put the chemical back (as advised by my doctor!)
Lou

Good pic, and no need to apologise for it either.

As for the chemical deficiency, you're right. But I disagree that medication is required (at least in all cases, for the majority of cases you may well be right).

From memory of my A-Level Psychology lessons...

Endorphin's act as analgesics, esentially that they reduce the perception of pain (especially when mixed with adrenaline). They also act as sedatives (which is counteracted by adrenaline). However, there's more to it than that.

Exercise brings confidence (via sense of achievement etc). There's also the perception of self improvement. It also serves as a distraction from issues, and gives social interactions (depending on the exercise performed). Depression can lead to isolation, which quickly leads to a lack of confidence, therefore further isolation, continuing until the cycle is broken.

Non of the above paragraph applies to medication of any sort (IMO). I've already picked up on a lack of confidence (compared to how I used to be a few years back), and despite the limited tests I've done, I don't think (or rather I hope), that my emotions don't fall into the severely depressed bracket.

I believe that anti-depressants are a useful tool to start you back on the road to recovery if things have gone too far, but by the very virtue of the fact that I want a crack at sorting myself out, I don't think things have got that far yet.

As an update as to what I'm going to do about it all, I've bought a 12 day trial gym membership, at a private (not council run) gym. There's no ties to this, so I'm going to see how often I'd be able to fit the gym in around work/family etc. I'm hoping to get down the gym for at least 2-3 times a week, and an hr each session minimum.

Thanks for the comments chaps. I find I get the best pictures when I'm low. But I suppose that's because I get out more.

How about indoor sports. I play 5-a-side football twice a week. Its fun stuff not serious at all. Keeps me fit(ish), its kind of social, its indoors and its cheapish. Another option is maybe badminton again its indoors and its social. I find it easier to commit via an e-mail early in the week then if I don't feel like it when the time comes, I don't want to let others down so just do it. I always feel better for it afterwards.

Boing!

Well, to drag this old chestnut up again (some folks showed genuine concern, so figured I'd keep those poeple updated - t'is only fair afterall).

I went to the gym last night, first time in probably 8 years!

Why did non of you warn me it frigging hurts! I managed a mile on the treadmill in something around 11mins (completely pathetic compared to how fit I used to be!). Then hit the bikes, rowing machine, weights (twinge in my back due to spinal injury incurred years ago - stopped as soon as it twinged), then on the god-awful thing called the "tread-climber."

Hips/thighs were killing me yesterday, and I'd burnt too many calories, so off to the pub to put some of them back. Afterall, I'm in the gym for mental work, not really for fitness, and I don't need to loose weight.

In conclusion, it hurts (have I said that yet?), but it helped my head. A lot. So I shall be going again, and hopefully the pain will be slightly less each time.

Originally Posted by slark01

I've always done the martial arts route, rather than the gym.
In a decent club you get the exercise and get to hit something

+1. If it's endorphins you want, fighting is very good, better than the gym IMO. A nice bonus is that tricking your body into thinking it's really fighting, which most contact martial arts will, makes your body heal more quickly (in anticipation of the injuries it will sustain).

Originally Posted by Baph

Boing!

Well, to drag this old chestnut up again (some folks showed genuine concern, so figured I'd keep those poeple updated - t'is only fair afterall).

I went to the gym last night, first time in probably 8 years!

Why did non of you warn me it frigging hurts! I managed a mile on the treadmill in something around 11mins (completely pathetic compared to how fit I used to be!). Then hit the bikes, rowing machine, weights (twinge in my back due to spinal injury incurred years ago - stopped as soon as it twinged), then on the god-awful thing called the "tread-climber."

Hips/thighs were killing me yesterday, and I'd burnt too many calories, so off to the pub to put some of them back. Afterall, I'm in the gym for mental work, not really for fitness, and I don't need to loose weight.

In conclusion, it hurts (have I said that yet?), but it helped my head. A lot. So I shall be going again, and hopefully the pain will be slightly less each time.

glad you found something you enjoy! keep up the good work fella!

Originally Posted by Baph

I went to the gym last night, first time in probably 8 years!

Why did non of you warn me it frigging hurts!

All those lovely new muscles that you never knew you had I was the same when I first went climbing on an indoor wall, having not used my arms in that way before, I was in agony the next day, but that was also accompanied with a sense of having achieved something. Now if you can keep at it you've cracked it!

Originally Posted by dizzyblonde

I'm thinking of getting a wii fit after xmas,

That's actually not a bad idea, those things do actually work. My mate lost a stone after a fortnight of playing on it with his mate - they're both really competitive and needed to get the most points Only to put it straight back on eating crap and drinking, students eh?

I've been going to the gym for years now and it still hurts here and there now and again. If you don't over-do-it the muscle pain will last for a day or two at most but the benefit in mental health is the bigger bonus, so keep it up buddy!

[johnnyrod]

Good lad, get stuck in.