User:U3038068/Background of Exercise and Depression

Depression is characterized by prolonged feelings of sadness, dejection and hopelessness. The World Health Organisation’s classifies depression as:
 * 2 weeks of abnormal depressed mood
 * Loss of interest and decreased energy
 * Loss of confidence
 * Excessive guilt
 * Recurrent thoughts of death
 * Poor concentration
 * Sleep disturbance
 * Change in appetite

Two symptoms of depression are quite recognizable, lack of motivation and fatigue resulting in exercise not being a priority. Depressed patients are often physically sedentary. Which can cause a reduction in physical work capacity. This indicates that the reduced fitness level is caused by physical inactivity and is a strong argument for integrating physical fitness training into comprehensive treatment programmes for depression. (Martinsen 1990)