Depression: exercise and diet are part of medical prescription – 11/14/2023 – Balance

It was in the last decade that psychiatry in Brazil began to review medical prescriptions based solely on antidepressants. The change came with new scientific studies that point to the benefits of healthy habits in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. Among them are activities that move the body, calm the mind and improve personal relationships.

“Today it is understood that psychiatric disorders are multifactorial, therefore, they do not respond to a single strategy”, explains psychiatrist Arthur Danila, coordinator of the Habit and Lifestyle Change Program at IPq-HCFMUSP (Institute of Psychiatry at Hospital das Clinics of the USP Faculty of Medicine).

It is necessary to consider biological factors, which respond to medication, psychological factors, treated with psychotherapy, and social factors, which involve well-being in the environment, personal relationships, work and lifestyle.

“At first it’s difficult to find motivation, but over time the body gets used to it and starts to feel pleasurable”, observes legal analyst José Victor Sampaio, 32. His treatment for depression includes medication and theater and swimming classes. “More than an exercise for the body, it works for the mind, as I focus on my thoughts, serving as a type of meditation.”

Physical activity was also prescribed by the psychiatrist of sales consultant Andrea Sanches, 49. Overweight and taking anti-depression medication, she returned to exercising and meditating in 2020. Since then, she has felt great improvement. “The head becomes more relaxed, the body loses the symptoms of anxiety, the mind becomes lighter and small pleasures begin to happen again”, she reveals.

A 2022 study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, shows that the intensity of practice reduces the risk of depression. Research shows that if people were physically active, 11% of incident depression would be avoided.

In 2023, another study, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, followed 141 patients for 16 weeks and showed that, in cases of pathological depression or anxiety, running twice a week can have an effect similar to antidepressants and anxiolytics.

Weighing 120 kilos and suffering from depression, stage director Fernando Hideki, 32, broke his leg during the Covid-19 pandemic. “The recovery was painful and messed with my head. I saw three psychiatrists, who only prescribed medicine.”

That’s when the therapist suggested he return to CrossFit. “I started taking care of my head and body and it seems like everything around me has improved. I lost 30 kilos, my self-esteem increased and I managed to get my work noticed”, says Hideki, who exercises five times a week.

The WHO (World Health Organization) recommendation is to move at least 30 minutes daily, five days a week. For children, there are 60 minutes a day. “Every movement counts,” notes Danila.

The benefits of exercising at the gym or in the park are similar, he recalls, but there are several studies that highlight the positive points of sunlight and contact with nature, which can be stimulating.

It’s like that with teenager Daniel Graczyk, 13, who loves walking outdoors, associating movement with games. With episodes of anxiety and depression since the age of six, physical activities were recommended by the psychiatrist and psychologist. He takes personal kids classes, lasting one hour, three times a week.

“Allied to the benefits of physical activity, there is playfulness, which leads to the freedom to express emotions”, says physical educator Maria Eugênia Setim, who has been following Daniel for three years. “He’s evolved a lot.”

Imagination and creativity, highlights the educator, contribute to overcoming limitations and discovering new potential, such as autonomy, socialization and self-knowledge. “He loves it and comes home in a different mood. I notice that his anxiety is gone. The doctor talks a lot about his improvement”, says Daniel’s mother, Fernanda Suchla.

Patrícia Piper, a psychiatrist specializing in psychology, reinforces the benefits of complementary therapies in the rapid remission of anxious symptoms, the use of smaller medication doses, a lower chance of relapses and a better quality of life. “The combination of medicines and therapies works very well. Psychotropic drugs act on target symptoms and promote their remission, but this is often not enough for patients to feel well.”

Another great ally in treatments is a balanced diet. Danila points out that ultra-processed products, such as cookies, soft drinks and snacks, can cause inflammation in the intestine, which, due to its relationship with the brain, increases the risk of psychiatric disorders.

The ideal is to choose natural foods (such as milk, eggs, fruits, vegetables and meat) or minimally processed foods (such as whole grains, rice, beans, flour and fresh pasta).

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