We have all heard over and over again about the benefits of exercise. But the context of such arguments about the importance of daily exercise is usually applied to those who are psychologically healthy if a bit inclined to physiological couch-potato-ness. But Faulkner and Biddle, in their 2004 article "Exercise and Depression: Considering Variability and Contextuality" argue that regular exercise should be considered not only as something that contributes to the overall well-being of those without mental disabilities but also to those with mental or cognitive problems.
One of the reasons that there has been relatively little research in this area, the authors argue, is that it is even more difficult for individuals with mental illness to engage in regular exercise than it is for members of the general population - and we are all aware of how difficult it is for those of us who are not facing the challenges of mental illness. The authors are especially concerned with individuals in a clinical setting and, within this population, those suffering from depression.
They argue that while research "continues to support the consideration of exercise as an adjunctive treatment for depression" there has been relatively little longitudinal or well constructed qualitative research on the subject. This body of research (because it is essentially ethnographic in nature) is limited in its generalizability; nevertheless the authors make a convincing case that while significant emotional and psychological barriers exist for depressive patients to enter into exercise regimes, once they do so they can benefit substantially from them.
Those suffering from depression face even greater disincentives to exercise than do "normal" people - most of whom also do not exercise even though both groups realize that exercising is in their own best short-term and long-term interests.
There were times when exercise was difficult for all participants despit...