Has anybody read either of the two 'groundbreaking' new books that view exercise as medicine??  "Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain" (by John Ratey - Harvard psychiatrist) and "The Athlete's Way: Sweat and the Biology of Bliss (by Christopher Bergland) both tout the medicinal benefits of exercise, particularly aerobic exercise. Physical activity enhances the mind by balancing the brain's neurotransmitters along with other chemicals.  According to Ratey, "Keeping your brain in balance can change your life".   In his book, Bergland discusses as how he self-medicated his teenage depression with medications and that it wasn't until he got into 'exercise', was there a complete reincarnation for him.  According to Ratney, a 'switch' in your head gets turned on when you exercise.   He continues stating that if everyone knew that exercise works as well as Zoloft, we could put a real dent in diseases such as depression.  Grab a copy of these books and let me know what you think.