I Did Water Aerobics with Old Ladies and Here’s What it Taught Me and The Fastest Ways to Get Rid of Depression
If you let it, life can surprise you.
This week I want to focus on doing what feels right for you. And that means regardless of other peoples opinions or prejudices that are out there in the world. So we all know water aerobics right? If you’re not familiar with water aerobics it’s traditionally a sport reserved for the elderly, older persons over 60, AAA card carrying women, not people in their 30’s. Which is super contradictory to the whole purpose of water aerobics.
When I walked into the pool area I was concerned about all these people making fun of me or telling me I couldn’t be there. So I put on my confident girl walk and jumped into the pool. I of course felt awkward. I think the instructor could tell I was feeling this way and she walked up to me. “You are in the right place! AURORA Aqua is for all ages and genders. Whether you’re 12 or 100 you are meant to be here!”
This sentiment really made me feel way better about being in a water aerobics class. And you know what else? Water aerobics are great for people who need something with good cardio and low impact on the body–like me and some other spoonies who ended up in the class. And those spoonies? A large variety of ages, some even being close to my age. These fellow spoonies made me feel so much more included and at home in the water. Each woman who came up to my purple space bunned hair was warm, welcoming, and offered some really great advice.
It astounds me how I came into this water aerobics class with so many judgmental thoughts, worries, concerns, anxieties, and prejudices about who the class was supposed to be for. Because by the end of the class, I felt like part of this beautiful collective of women and others who were there to serve their best selves, not anyone else.
So what exactly did I learn from this experience? First, you gotta be you and do what feels right for you–regardless of what label society slaps on an activity or thing. Secondly, our own preconceived notions of what age means is actually, meaningless. Let people surprise you!
My mental health going in was all over the place and I swam out of the water aerobics class feeling like I was a part of a bigger set of ideals.
I highly recommend attending a water aerobics class–not because it’s fun to try new things, but because the experience changes you a little bit and there’s no better community than those who meet you where you’re at.
Dopamine hits are a collection of things that made me feel good this week that I think you’ll enjoy too. It’s bascially a way for me to get out my nerdy bits.
Okay so first up, this hilarious Spongebob and Patrick rendition of a classic Star Wars clip that has been memed to death.
This AMAZING sticker. I love a good pun.
So if you follow me on Instagram you know there is a ton of baking and cooking that I do. In fact, right now I’m challenging myself to make one recipe a day from That Sounds So Good, by Carla Lalli Music. Anyway, so I made a galaxy cake with my chocolate cake recipe and it was ahhh-mazing. I’ve included a link to the video AND the recipe below if you want to try it out!
The Best FUCKING Chocolate Cake EVER
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup oat milk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup strong hot coffee
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 ½ - 4 cups confectioners sugar
2-4 tablespoons milk as needed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter & flour two 9 inch round cake pans. In a large bowl combine flour, both sugars, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add in milk, oil, eggs and vanilla until combined.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients with the mixer on low. Pour in the hot coffee (Batter will be thin)
Divide between the prepared pans and bake for 23-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool the cake completely before frosting.
Okay, now back to our regularly scheduled stuff.
It is part of our nature to feel depressed from time to time and that’s okay! You can feel depressed about your dog, your ice cream that fell, or not getting that job you were really gunning for (totally me). What’s not okay is for others to A. tell you how to feel and B. expect you to get over it.
Here’s the thing about depression, it affects us all VERY differently. If you someone who occasionally experiences depression it’s going to hit you differently than someone who is Bipolar II and has manic depressive episodes. Just because someone is depressed for longer periods of time versus shorter periods doesn’t mean anyone’s depression is any less valid than the next. In fact, the cause of your depression is valid regardless of what anyone says (yes, I’m talking to the assholes that call other people’s problems “first world problems.”)
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s ask this, Why does depression even happen? What’s the science behind depression?
According to Harvard Research Center, there are many causes of depression. “chemicals are involved in this process, but it is not a simple matter of one chemical being too low and another too high. Rather, many chemicals are involved, working both inside and outside nerve cells. There are millions, even billions, of chemical reactions that make up the dynamic system that is responsible for your mood, perceptions, and how you experience life.”
Basically this means a ton of different stuff could cause depression. It’s a complex mix of internal and external factors that go into how depression comes up in the body. Ultimately, scientists have determined that it’s def the brain’s responsibility for controlling our mood–not our heart, contrary to popular lore.
So….
Here are some uhhh…interesting answers…
They aren’t wrong. One thing I feel though that is left out is feeling into that depression. Distractions don’t always work. They are a temporary fix and can help us feel better in the moment but are not a permanent fix. The same thing can be applied to antidepressants. While medication is great, it doesn’t always fix the core biological issues occurring within the body. Not to mention, antidepressants often take weeks to begin working for people. Why is it that antidepressants aren’t working the moment they begin to stimulate neurotransmitters in the brain?
Well, “The answer may be that mood only improves as nerves grow and form new connections, a process that takes weeks. In fact, animal studies have shown that antidepressants do spur the growth and enhanced branching of nerve cells in the hippocampus. So, the theory holds, the real value of these medications may be in generating new neurons (a process called neurogenesis), strengthening nerve cell connections, and improving the exchange of information between nerve circuits.”
So, how do you get rid of depression? The answer may be in focusing on ways to promote neurogenesis (regrowth of nerve cells in the hippocampus). So here are a few ways to promote neurogenesis:
Physical activity - this means, running, cycling, walking, sex…anything that gets the heart pumping faster…AKA cardio
Take vitamins B6 and B12 - these two vitamins are known for their critical role in DNA methylation and epigenetic phenomenon in the CNS.
Healthy eating - Seems generic but making sure you have a balanced, regular, diet of all the healthy shit is important. Less sugar and alcohol, more fruits and veggies my friends.
Turmeric - this is an impressive little spice, Darth Vader would be pleased. A potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, it may also help improve symptoms of depression and arthritis.
There are a ton of other things that can help too, but we’ll get into that later.
Asking for a friend is a weekly advice column where you can make special requests about disorder information, help with a neurological question, mental health struggle, or anything you feel you want support with. All you need to do is fill out the form via the button below and I’ll answer two questions or requests each week.
SOURCES
https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/what-causes-depression
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5683005/
https://accelerate.uofuhealth.utah.edu/resilience/neuroplasticity-how-to-use-your-brain-s-malleability-to-improve-your-well-being