A Windsor, Ont., woman is hoping to help clinically depressed women feel better through exercise. (CBC News)A Windsor, Ont., woman is hoping to help clinically depressed women feel better through exercise.

Sandy Boivin taught her first class, called "Moving Through Depression" to a group of 30- to 55-year-old women on Saturday. Boivin knows all about what her participants are going through — 10 years ago she was hospitalized for depression.

She said she felt out of touch, couldn't eat or sleep, and didn't want to leave the house, let alone talk to anyone. She got help, but medication and therapy weren't enough, so she forced herself to start walking. She's gone from walking a half block to becoming a fitness instructor who touts the effects that exercise has had on her life.

"It gives you self confidence, makes you feel good, it reduces anxiety and symptoms of depression," said Boivin. "The great thing [is] you have those wonderful endorphins running through your body, and as that happens you feel this release. It's a wonderful feeling."

Sandy Boivin taught her first class, called Moving Through Depression, to a group of women on Saturday. (CBC News)Boivin wants to share that feeling with others, and make her class a safe place for women who suffer from depression.

"They aren't likely going to go out and join an exercise club, or fitness class, because they just won't feel like they fit in, and won't be motivated to go," she said.

In addition to helping them feel better about themselves, Boivin wants to help them overcome the stigma that is attached to depression.

"I felt the stigma so bad that I wouldn't collect unemployment when I was off. I decided that people would know," said Boivin.

Measuring success

Boivin said there is already a lot of research pointing out how exercise can make you feel better, but in addition, the course will be monitored by a University of Windsor graduate student devoted to researching the effects on Moving Through Depression participants. The researcher will use a questionnaire that the exercisers fill out before and after every class.

The women who took Saturday's class already agreed the class was a success, because it got them out of the house socializing with others who understand what they are going through, and helped get them moving.

"I didn't want to go, and that's part of the depression," said participant Valori Nantais. "But you have to push yourself. You need other people to push you and sometimes you have to do it your damn self, if I can say that."

Nantais said when you have depression, it's easy to push people away.

"I was just hoping that if you are working out with someone, you could see them struggling, you could understand that," she said.