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Originally Posted by Siege
Regular exercise in general helps depression. Doesn't matter if it's running, sports, weight lifting, whatever.
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Yep. But for some reason, runners seem most prone to get "hooked" on the endorphins (natural heroin) produced by running (and yes, by other forms of exercise). Perhaps this is because you can put yourself into condition to run longer and longer, while something like weight training can only be done for a moderately short period.
My neighbor is a huge runner, and she loves running so much that she continued running on an injured foot and finally messed it up seriously. She couldn't bear to cut back; though in the end she had to give up running for months, and was seriously pissed about it. She would go to the gym and ride an exercycle for hours, but "it's just not the same."
Me -- when I lift weights and a joint or muscle protests, I just stop. I know there's trouble around the bend if I don't. But I think that running puts some people into a meditative/slightly high state of mind that makes them want to go and go no matter what.