


Besides the obvious physical health benefits, exercise can also:


It's clear that there is no real downside to moderate exercise, so let's get to the particulars.

In the United States we are constantly bombarded with the latest exercise crazes from bootcamps to kettle ball classes. What if exercise in its truest, yet mundane form-a physical action that's an escape from the daily grind-had as meaningful an effect?

A recent 2010 study in the British Journal of Psychiatry found that people who engaged in regular physical activity-even non-sweat inducing mild activity-were less likely to be depressed than their sedentary counterparts. The intensity didn't make a difference! A brisk walk and a long run had the same effect on reducing negative thoughts and feelings.

Surprisingly, only exercise carried out in people's spare time helped relieve depression for those in the study. People who do heavy lifting or extensive walking at work were just as likely to be depressed as those with desk jobs.


In terms of where to exercise, a 2011 study in Environmental Science & Technology further clarified the best setting to engage in physical activity. After examining 11 studies with 833 participating adults, the author's concluded that when compared to indoor exercise, outdoor exercise led to:

  1. greater improvement in mental well-being,
  2. greater feelings of revitalization,
  3. increased energy and positive engagement, and


  • Engage in any form of exercise (mild activity is fine if you don't want to over-exert yourself)
  • Exercise with someone or in a group
  • Exercise outdoors

But what if you don't have the energy to exercise?


We can always find reasons not to exercise: It's raining. It's cold. I'm tired. I have too much work. I forgot my I-Pod.

And many people say it's easy to overcome those obstacles: Just go to the gym. Make a commitment to a class. Make it a part of your daily routine.

For someone with depression, it's not that easy. In addition to feelings of hopelessness and lack of energy, low motivation leads to ambivalence about exercise, particularly when it's in a social setting. Being told to just do it will never work.

But what if the motivation necessary for exercise was less about psychological "willpower" and more about physiological roadblocks?


The lack of motivation, fatigue and weakness that someone with depression is struggling with is related to the body's mitochondria, tiny structures found within every cell of the human body. These mitochondria generate energy for the cell and poor mitochondrial function leads to less energy, fatigue, and weakness.



  • B12 - B12 plays a vital role in energy metabolism, and a shortage of the vitamin can lead to a lack of energy. Indeed, fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of B12 deficiency. Although the normal range for B12 is usually given as 200 - 900 pg/mL (picograms per milliter), I find that levels in the upper end of the range, 800 - 900, lead to more energy.
  • Carnitine - One of carnitine's key functions is helping to produce energy in the mitochondria. Taking advantage of carnitine's energy boosting powers, many physicians use carnitine to treat chronic fatigue, fatigue related to cancer, and even for weight loss. For patients I typically recommend 1 gram of carnitine before breakfast and another before lunch.

Exercise is free and the effects on both mind and body are long lasting. It doesn't matter if you train for a marathon or take a walk in the neighborhood, simply carving out time in your day to do something other than work or being sedentary, will positively affect you both physically and mentally. Your endorphins will increase while cortisol decreases, providing you with instant relief.


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