I began this morning, as usual, with a
jog around the neighborhood. I have found through my brief amount of years that a daily workout
routine helps tremendously not only with weight and overall
health, but with
depression problems as well. Those
red-faced teen angst years were the worst, of course, where depressions would last a week long sometimes, as I lay on the floor of my room
catatonic, overwhelmed with the issue of
existing. I realize some of this sadness was exacerbated by loopy teen chemicals futily attempting to
adjust, but I was not feeling terribly fulfilled in my teary-eyed vexations. And I could not seem, as my mother would constantly
suggest, to be able to “just snap out of it.” I also did not wish to immediately search for the right over-the-counter
medication either, which while for some people these are truly needed, I thought them completely over-prescribed. I wanted to ‘snap out of it’ but I needed to
figure out how.
By my freshman year of college, the need became urgent. I was now attempting to have a relationship with someone for the first time, and this brought on a whole new set of sorrows. I also needed to find a way to distract my mind from the horrific fear of dying of some disease- a fear I have found to manifest primarily when a big change enters into my life. (i.e. college)
So I began to work out. The college I entered had a newly built sports and excerise building, which is actually one of the largest in the nation. It was free. What a sign. I started slowly, annoyed with the whole deal but determined. I kept the routine up, one hour a day six days a week, and improvements eventually began to make themselves known. I also began to love the runner’s high I received from a good workout, and actually started to look forward to my daily excerise. I lost 15 pounds and I noticed that I had more energy in general throughout the day.
In combination with this I also began taking B12 with my vitamin C every day, and even more improvement in my mood came along. To this day I still continue my workout routine and take B12, and I feel both have aided me tremendously. I would suggest both of these for others as well. Of course, it may not work for everyone, but it couldn’t hurt to try. And of course I still deal with depression on occasion, but that, as we all know, is inevitable as a part of life. Can’t have the highs without the lows. The beauties without the blows.