Swimming greats Michael Phelps (23 Olympic gold medals), Allison Schmitt (eight-time Olympic medalist) and Ian Thorpe (five Olympic golds) all have been in hot water. They've each battled major depression. "It's like a weight is pressing down on you. There are days when you just can't get out of bed," explains Thorpe.
They're not alone: About 10% of people in the U.S. will experience major depressive disorder at some point. And 50% of the time the cause is genetic, meaning multiple genes predispose them to depression.
When your parent or sibling has the condition, your risk for depression is two times greater than for folks without a family connection. It's four to five times greater if that family member has had recurrent depression that started before their 30s.
But there's a lot you can do to reduce or eliminate the risk, even with a genetic predisposition. Research published in Depression & Anxiety found that 35 minutes of additional physical activity daily reduces the risk of genetic-linked depression and helps protect against future episodes.
What kind of activity works? Research shows that overtraining (that may be the case with some super-athletes) is associated with depression, but moderate amounts of higher-intensity aerobics and dance, as well as lower-intensity yoga and stretching, are very effective. Walking was also protective. Most important? Consistency. So take steps (10,000 a day is good, with interval walking that provides intensity) to make exercise a part of your feel-better plan. But don't overdo it.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
Read more http://cdn.kingfeatures.com/rss/feed/editorial/index.php?content=YouDocTips_20191224