Depression's Unholy Trinity: Dysregulated Stress, Immunity, and the Microbiome

This depends on the person, but for many, the inability to muster the motivation to exercise is a capacity thing. The capability is there, but the capacity is used just surviving the day.

Removing the work factor has freed some capacity for me. It's still a struggle, but the lack of work stress is a huge help.

It can just be getting out of the house to go for a walk. Find something small to build on, and do your best to build a routine.

Trying to build and maintain a regular schedule is more important than the workout. You'll find yourself improving your workout naturally.

Marking a physical calendar can be helpful.

No need to push yourself, take it easy and in small doses, and after about a month you'll find it's no longer a struggle and the routine will start to take over for you.

The most important thing is that somewhere in your head you need to know that you want this for yourself. If you start looking it as something imposed on you, it becomes something you want to stop. Make sure you remind yourself that you're doing it for you.

My job is still stressful but with regular exercise I feel generally more resilient. Im still suffering a low grade depression and probably a diet revamp as well as other aspects would help a lot. But the exercise alone has completely changed my entire life perspective and my moment to moment life.

But without the forcing functions I found I wouldn’t be doing it, 100%. It’s all about burning the boats behind you.

Yeah but if you already had been diagnosed with depression, it seems like they'd want to check this.