EXERCISE/YOGA  [ back to Recovering from a Brain injury ]
Exercise is known to banish the "blues" and produce a sense of euphoria. On a bio-chemical level exercise stimulates the brain to produce natural opioid compounds called endorphins. On a physiological level, exercise stimulates increased blood flow, which brings more oxygen and glucose to brain tissue. On a psychological level, exercise promotes a sense of taking charge, of being in control of one's life, which boosts confidence. On a behavioral level, exercise in a group setting brings the good feelings that come with belonging, being part of a supportive group and having friends.

The beneficial effects of exercise in banishing, or at least lessening, depression was shown convincingly at Duke University Medical Center in a study published in the Oct. 2000 issue of the Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine. They took a group of 156 persons, age 50 and above, with major depression and split them into 3 groups: those who exercised briskly for 30 minutes 3 times a week; those who took Zoloft (an effective SSRI anti-depressant medication with low side effects); and those who exercised and took Zoloft. After 16 weeks all 3 groups achieved comparable rates of remission of their depression. When contacted later for follow up, of the 3 groups, the exercise only group had a much lower rate of relapse. The American Psychological Association's periodical known as Professional Psychology: Research and Practice has published at least 14 studies concluding that exercise "compared favorably" with psychotherapy in controlling mild to moderate depression.

This is certainly good news for people suffering from depression in the wake of a TBI. Exercise does not require a medical prescription and can be done rather easily and cheaply in comparison with physical therapy, which requires making and keeping appointments, getting transportation and incurring substantial expense. Rounding up people to exercise with can cause some difficulty. One solution to exercise with people in your TBI support group. Another is to take long walks with a spouse, child or friend.

Rehab professionals who counsel my clients, have told them that "just getting out of the house in the sun and fresh air" can enliven them and improve their outlook. TBI can turn active people into shut-ins, but this is reversible. Take a chance. Call someone and invite them on a walk. If its too cold or rainy, you can use an exercise bike and listen to a good book on audiotape or watch an educational videotape.

The benefits of exercise go beyond improving mood. It is already well established that leading a sedentary life (i.e. not exercising) is associated with obesity, cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea, reduced oxygen to the brain, heart attacks and strokes. Exercise has long been a form of therapy to remedy motor deficits following stroke. Research conducted in the late 1990s found that exercise increased cognitive ability in aging humans as well as aging rats. It was theorized that exercise stimulated the formation of new brain cells. New research indicates exercise actually protects the brain against age associated cell loss and onset of neurodegenerative diseases. A team of neuro-physiologists in Madrid, Spain, just published a paper in Journal of Neuroscience 8/1/01, 21(15):5678-5684, in which they state that exercise increases brain uptake of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I). They found higher concentrations of IGF-I and newly birthed brain cells in the hippocampus of older rats that exercised vs. much lower concentrations in old sedentary rats. Higher IGF-I concentrations is a benefit to the organism, because IGF-I has been shown by earlier studies to increase glucose uptake in the brain, stimulate development of new blood vessels in the brain and increases memory performance. When the Madrid research team injected anti-bodies that lowered IGF-I uptake into the brains of exercising rats, they produced degenerative brain changes seen in sedentary rats. They strongly recommend exercise as a way of staving off dementia in humans and also recommend clinical trials of IGF-I as a treatment for brain disease involving acute or progressive neuronal death.