Exercise Beats Depression

by Jim Johnson

Depression is a disabling condition which can adversely affect a person's work, sleep, eating habits, and family life-as well as one's overall health. Unfortunately, while commonly used treatments can be highly effective, they may not be ideal for everybody. For instance, some drugs have unwanted side-effects, and many people are turned off by the social stigma of going to therapy. Money can be an issue as well. This is the point of Exercise Beats Depression. It is not a substitute for medical therapy, but rather represents another option that can be used alone or in combination with other treatments to effectively lower or eliminate the symptoms of depression. Based entirely on randomized controlled trials, Exercise Beats Depression is a simple, yet effective program that can be done in the privacy of one's home with minimal cost or equipment. Exercise sheets are also included to help guide the reader through the step-by-step plan. Jim Johnson, P.T. is a physical therapist who has spent over eighteen years treating both inpatients and outpatients with a wide range of pain and mobility problems. He has written many books based completely on published research and controlled trials including The Multifidus Back Pain Solution, Treat Your Own Knees, The No-Beach, No-Zone, No-Nonsense Weight Loss A Pocket Guide to What Works, The Sixty-Second Motivator, Treat Your Own Rotator Cuff, The 5-Minute Plantar Fasciitis Solution, and Finding Happiness in a Frustrating World. His books have been translated into other languages and thousands of copies have been sold worldwide. Besides working full-time as a clinician in a major teaching hospital and writing books, Jim Johnson is a certified Clinical Instructor by the American Physical Therapy Association and enjoys teaching physical therapy students from all over the United States.

80 pages, Paperback

First published September 3, 2009

About the author

Jim Johnson, P.T. is a physical therapist who has spent over 25 years treating both inpatients and outpatients with a wide range of pain and mobility problems. He has written many books based completely on published research and controlled trials. His books have been translated into other languages, and thousands of copies have been sold worldwide.

Besides working full-time as a clinician in a large teaching hospital and writing books, Jim is a certified Clinical Instructor by the American Physical Therapy Association and enjoys teaching physical therapy students from all over the United States.

Reviews

[Stephen Fraser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very good in describing the effects and the symptoms of depression. As well as how and why exercise can help lessen the effects of depression. As a member of the medical community I know that there is plenty of evidence that shows the benefits of exercise for people suffering from depression. While the book does a good job of outlining exercises that can be done anywhere and by anyone regardless of abilities. I need to point out that this should not be considered as a sole treatment for depression. While people who suffer from infrequent bouts of depression may find that this book is helpful, those with chronic depression will still need medications and other treatments. The authors research is sound and mirrors some of the research I have read myself.

Overall this book is very well done and many people will find the information inside to be helpful. I would recommend it to anyone that has depression issues. However it should only be used in addition to other treatments and not a sole treatment.

[Kevin Lintner · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's no doubt that depression can be debilitating, causing both physical and mental pain in those caught in its terrible grasp. I have suffered from both major depressive and social anxiety disorder for many years and have tried different courses of medication over the years. While meds do help, it is only part of the treatment process. Therapy can be a major asset to treatment as well, but when physical activity is combined with all of the above, wonderful results can be achieved.

What Johnson has done is put together an easy to read guide that could help you handle your depression more effectively through physical activity. The exercises are low impact, can be done almost anywhere, and come with photos to guide the reader in performing them properly.

I want to note that the author in no way suggests that exercise is all you need to overcome your depression, but he does a great job explainng how it can certaily work in adjunct with other forms of treatment to greatly improve your quality of life.

You can purchase the book from Amazon.com