When using exercise as a drug, it is important to set a goal of 60 to 90 minutes per day, every day. Obviously, depending on your current condition, you may need to work slowly up to this level. My experience is that weight-bearing exercises, such as walking, jogging, running, Nordic Track and Health Rider are better than cycling and swimming. If you have access to a health club, my favorite piece of equipment there is the elliptical machine.

Cycling and swimming take far longer to produce the same benefit and each have their own problems. If you are cycling outdoors you run the risk of being killed or injured by a motor vehicle. Swimming is usually done in chlorinated pools, which has its own problems. If you are able to swim in the ocean, the salt water provides an incredible synergism that far exceeds the value of the exercise.

However, one of the largest obstacles faced by people who haven't exercised in some time is how to get started. Just the thought of starting an exercise program can be intimidating. Whenever patients ask me what kind of activity is best, my answer is always the same: Walking is a wonderful way to get started. It is very low impact so it is easy on the joints.

In fact, most people find it is simple and enjoyable to fit a walk into their day. It is also one of the most cost effective ways to get exercise, as it does not require much training and the only equipment needed is a good pair of walking shoes. You can walk just about anywhere and you can do it anytime.

So what makes walking a workout?

This depends on your initial fitness level. If you are starting out in poor shape, slow-paced walking will produce benefits, but if you are starting out in better condition, you will need to walk faster and/or farther to see any results. Regardless of your starting level, the more vigorous your walking pace, the more dramatic the conditioning effects will be. When walking for exercise you should walk at a steady pace that is fast enough to cause your heart rate to rise.

In my experience most people increase their fitness level relatively rapidly while walking and the only way they can continue to stress themselves enough while walking is to walk on a treadmill with an incline. This works well for many, especially during the cold winter months, but less so for those who want to exercise outdoors in the nice weather. Some of the emotional health benefits of exercise include:

• Feel better
• Sleep better
• Have a better outlook overall

The practical problem with using exercise in depression, however, is that the desire to pursue any activity, let alone exercise, is not very high. The converse though also needs to be considered: Just because one exercises regularly that does not mean you cannot become depressed. Exercise makes it easier to treat depression, but it certainly does not cure it in everyone. If this is the case for you, you may want to consider methods such as the energy psychology tool Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), to address underlying emotional triggers to your depression.

For serious depressions I would not advise using this tool by yourself, but rather as a supplement to work with a trained EFT practitioner. I suggest taking a look at Dr. Carrington's guidelines on selecting an EFT therapist followed by a list of EFT practitioners throughout the United States and world. Many of these therapists even offer a free 15-minute phone session in which you can ask them questions to see if you connect.

Additionally, optimizing your diet is clearly an important step toward treating depression, and one of the most important tools will be to make sure you are getting enough omega-3 fats.

Related Articles:

Exercise Good for Depression

Exercise Better Than Drugs For Depression

Start Exercising: It’s Never Too Late

Free Tool to Set and Meet Exercise Goals

Treatment Options for Healing Depression