Why can running treat depression?

In the book "Exercise Changes the Brain", it is said that many medical studies have shown "the effectiveness of running in treating depression." The issue of "serotonin" mentioned therein is very interesting.

We all know that patients with depression lack one or more of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine in their bodies. Because most patients with depression are unhappy, many people take it for granted that serotonin is an excitatory neurotransmitter that makes people "full of energy."

In fact, on page 29 of the book, the author writes, "Serotonin is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that protects neurons from damage by excitatory neurotoxins."

Therefore, we know that being overexcited is not a good thing. Of course, this excitement does not necessarily mean that the body is hyperactive, but more likely that the brain is always in an excited state, such as "thinking too much, worrying too much, and thinking too much". When the brain is overexcited and the body can't bear it, the human body will activate the self-protection mechanism and enter a depressed state.

Of course, the causes of depression are quite complex, and many mechanisms are still unclear. One view is that this is a protective mechanism of the human body: the body is under excessive stress for a long time and it cannot bear it, so it has to start the "depression program" to let the brain rest, similar to animals that do not have enough energy for activity in winter and protect themselves by hibernation.

We can also use a computer as an analogy: various programs are opened for a long time and are extremely active. In order to protect itself, the system has to shut down automatically. However, some shutdowns are reversible and can be restarted after a period of rest, while others cause irreversible damage, which is relatively troublesome.

Therefore, we hope to automatically shut down and rest when we are "not too excited yet". To inhibit excessive excitement, we need the action of serotonin (inhibitory neurotransmitter), and a large number of studies have shown that running can promote the secretion of serotonin. This is the physiological basis for running to prevent and treat depression .

Someone asked Haruki Murakami what he usually thinks about when running. He said, "Most people who ask this question have never run. When you are actually running, your mind is blank, or you run for this blank feeling."

A mature runner is as calm as an old monk in meditation when running. Externally, he "exercises to nourish the body" to strengthen the body, and internally, he "rests to nourish the mind", actively shuts down, and cultivates the mind and character.