# Do manic depressives work out?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-manic-depressives-work-out/73394
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [July 22, 2001, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-manic-depressives-work-out/73394 "2001-07-22T03:42:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)
#### Post date: [July 26, 2001, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-manic-depressives-work-out/73394/21 "2001-07-26T23:10:38Z")
With a good dose of clinical depression, physical activity of any sort is downright painful and totally exhausting. For me, the feeling is very much like that feeling you have when you are unexpectedly awakened: physically frail, cognitively foggy, and absolutely unwilling to do anything. That’s before exercise.
This is where the “good swift kick in the ass” school of thought breaks down completely. In High School, those who felt they knew better decided all I needed was a little bit of exercise. One hour of forced exercise on the soccer field translated directly into fourteen to sixteen hours of comatose sleep per day. When I wasn’t allowed to sleep at home, I slept at school. When I wasn’t allowed to sleep at school, I skipped out. When I got busted, I became suicidal. For me, forced exercise was definitely a part of the big vicious circle that is depression.
On the other hand, mild exercise, like walking to work or to the bus or train, has helped me immensely. Unlike “real” exercise, getting to work is something I _have_ to do, if I want to eat. Reason #987 why I don’t need a car. Except the BMW Mini Cooper S–a wholly different cure for depression.
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### Author:  [@Carina42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carina42)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2001, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-manic-depressives-work-out/73394/22 "2001-07-27T00:12:57Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by ladyfoxfyre \*
> \*\*
>
> > [@](#):
> >
> > \*Originally posted by Chas.E \*
> > \*\*Exercise follows the brain chemistry, like all other things in their lives. Exercising has no effect on their mental states, only one thing can do that: medication. \*\*
>
> That’s not true…I remember hearing from several doctors that exercise increases the flow of a mood-altering chemical in the brain. That’s why so many people get “runner’s high”, it’s an excess of that chemical in the brain stimulated by exercise. I’ll go do some research on it right now. \*\*
That’s dopamine that’s released during exercise. The effect is short-acting, and has nothing to do with seratonin levels, which is what controls depression.
I am bipolar. Despite having a physically strenuous job and being generally very active, when I’m “in the tunnel” NOTHING makes it go away. To tell a clinically depressed person to go for a walk is laughable in terms of recovery. Two things make serious depression go away. Meds, and time. I’ve often gone off meds (Lithium, Celexa & Zoloft) because I hated feeling like I had a flat affect, and paid the price every time. I’ve been through the cycle enough times to know that if I ride it out, I’ll stop feeling suicidal
When I’m up, my dogs get two mile power walks at least twice daily, I work like a fiend, I climb fourteeners and don’t sleep much. When I’m down it is a struggle to get out of bed and making it past 3pm without falling asleep on the floor is an achievement
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### Author:  [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2001, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-manic-depressives-work-out/73394/23 "2001-07-27T00:51:14Z")
I forgot to mention, I am currently unmedicated.
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