Depression is a common mental health condition that can cause a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest in things you enjoy. It can lead to low mood and affect daily activities such as work and relationships.
Around 1 in 6 people will experience depression at some point in their lives. Exercise can be a helpful way to reduce symptoms as it provides feel-good endorphins.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that exercise can help to improve your mood. The CDC also suggests that exercise programs can be an effective way to treat mild depression for those who do not wish to take medication or have talking therapy.
The World Health Organization(WHO) also recommends physical activity to reduce the symptoms of depression.
A 2023 review on the effects of exercise on mental health found that several types of exercise can help with depression. These include:
Aerobic exercises
Aerobic exercises can be an effective way to provide relief for symptoms of depression. Aerobic exercise is a type of physical activity that gets your heart pumping faster and blood flowing around your body. It is different from anaerobic exercise because it increases your heart and breathing rate slowly over a long period of time.
Great ways to get some regular aerobic exercise include:
- going for a run
- going for a brisk walk
- riding a bike
- playing tennis
- dancing
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence U.K. advises that the benefits of exercise on your mood are even greater if you exercise outside. You may want to go for a walk, run, or bike ride outside to get the most mood-boosting benefits.
Strength-based exercises
Strength-based exercises increase the strength of your muscles. These exercises involve tools such as weights and resistance bands or your body weight to exercise and train your muscles.
A research review from 2018, looking at 33 randomized clinical trials involving 1,877 participants, suggests that strength-based training can help improve the symptoms of depression.
Different types of strength-based exercises work on different muscles in your body. According to the U.K. National Health Service (NHS), some activities that can strengthen your muscles include:
- lifting weights
- training with resistance bands
- heavy gardening like shoveling or digging
- climbing stairs
- walking up hills
- doing pushups, situps, and squats
Mind-body exercises
Mind-body exercises combine body movement, breathing techniques, and mental focus. These types of exercise can improve your strength, flexibility, and balance. Based on studies in a 2021 review, researchers suggest that mind-body exercises can help to improve mood.
They can include physical activities such as:
Mixed-mode exercises
You don’t have to stick to just one type of exercise. The 2023 study also found that mixed-mode exercise (where you combine different exercise types) had a positive effect on depression.
Benefits
Exercise can help with depression in many ways. According to a 2017 study, exercise can reduce some core symptoms of depression, like low mood and thoughts of taking your own life.
Exercise can also help to reduce stress-related hormones and boost feel-good hormones like dopamine and serotonin.
Exercise may also help to improve your self-confidence. In addition, physical activity can reduce your risk of health conditions like diabetes and stroke, which people with depression may be more likely to experience.
Lots of different types of exercise can help with depression. So, it may be useful to choose the types of exercise that you enjoy. If you look forward to exercising, you are more likely to do it regularly.
How much exercise should I do?
To benefit from exercise, you should aim to do some type of physical activity regularly. One 2015 study suggests that exercising 3 times a week for 12–24 weeks would be beneficial for your mental health. More research is needed to find out how many times and how much exercise can help with depression.
The CDC recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity every week and 2 days of strength training. It can also help to spread your exercise evenly over 4–5 days of the week or to do some exercise every day.
What exercises should I avoid?
There aren’t any specific exercises that you need to avoid if you have depression. According to the CDC, if you aren’t used to exercising, you may want to start with gentle movements for short periods of time. You can then build up gradually to more regular and strenuous exercises.
It is also helpful to keep the following in mind:
- Someone with severe depression may find it difficult to get out of bed or find the motivation to exercise. So they may benefit from other treatments, such as medication and talking therapy.
- Doing too much or very strenuous exercise could lead to injuries, which can have a negative impact on your mood.
- Exercise is just one tool that can help with depression. Other tools that can help include:
- taking medication
- trying relaxation techniques
- talking therapy
- getting enough sleep
- avoiding alcohol or smoking (if you drink or smoke)
- eating a balanced diet
If you think you may have depression, consider speaking with your doctor, who can help you to find the best treatment options.
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