Yoga for Depression and Anxiety!

I apologize for not posting in a while, but I have a flurry of ideas that should keep the blog going for the next couple weeks.

Last week, our Integrative Medicine course director held a journal club where we discussed this article:

Saeed SA, Antonacci DJ, and Bloch RM. Exercise, Yoga and Meditation for Depressive and Anxiety Disorders. Am Fam Physician 2010; 81:8.

To summarize the article, yoga has shown to benefit individuals with depression at a therapeutic level comparable to that of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and some medications (the mainstays of treatment). It has also demonstrated benefit in individuals with anxiety, however there is far less data available on this subject.

I've never really been one for yoga, but after reading this article it really made me consider giving it another shot...not to mention how relaxed I felt after we participated in an hour of yoga followed by a guided meditation. Residency is definitely a busy time and yoga seems to have the ability to help with "de-stressing".

While I wouldn't recommend quitting any current treatment regimens for depression or anxiety without talking to your doctor, if you suffer from either of these, consider adding yoga as an adjunct.

Namaste, right?

Paddle board yoga can be fun too :)

- Lindsey

Exercise

Well, I'm back on the island for my last term here; it's crazy how a year and a half has flown by... Today, I wanted to post about the importance of exercise. I know being a med student is physically and emotionally draining, but seriously, the key to staying sane is having some "me" time!

Don't say you don't have time, you can ALWAYS find the time. Set rules for yourself, such as- I'll take 30 mins a day away from the books to exercise or do some sort of physical activity. I definitely think it's essential to surviving the grind of school. 

I personally go for a run everyday around the same time. It's somewhat of a ritual to me, a time were I get to clear my head and just focus on myself. I've found on days that I've skipped a run, that I'm lethargic and more tired than usual. I also really enjoy doing short intense workouts from the website: http://www.bodyrock.tv/. They're usually around 12 mins and are definitely quick and get right to it.  

That's all for now, happy grinding!

-Carling 

Motivation for Wednesday!

I recently saw this quote by Jason Sudeikis in relation to his weight loss since he started dating Olivia Wilde: 

"The truth is, I’m not getting up an hour earlier and walking on a treadmill. I have the greatest workout partner in the world. And you don’t need a gym membership for that kind of workout."

I'll admit, I scoffed at it at first. However, I've had to counsel more and more patients on the benefit of exercise and weight loss and while doing some reading, I came across this: 

Calories burned during sex: 110-150

Wow! 150? 

Okay...so that's not actually that many. And I commend you and your partner if you're having sex for an hour. 

But now that I have your attention...

Physical inactivity is a HUGE problem worldwide.  But why do we need to exercise? Well, besides the obvious benefit of a nice waistline and being a lot more physically attractive, there are major health benefits! Physical activity is associated with decreased risk of coronary heart disease, certain types of cancer, stroke, and death from any cause. Feeling stressed? Exercise may decrease stress and anxiety and can even delay cognitive decline in older adults.

How much exercise should you be doing?

The MINIMUM recommended amount of exercise is 150 minutes of moderate activity per week, 75 minutes per week of vigoroous activity or some combination of the two.

Who has time for that?

My advice for patients is try to incorporate this into your daily life: walk or bike to work, take the stairs, do squats while you're brushing your teeth if you have to. And break it up! It doesn't all have to be at once.

My challenge: record your activities per week. 

See if you're meeting the recommendations!

Amazingly, my sister is a workout guru (as her abs will tell you) and promises to post some exciting workouts on this page.

Hope you're feeling motivated on hump day!