How exercise can boost your mental health

By The Space Between Us

Can exercise really boost your mental health? How much does it take? And what if you don’t even know where (or how to start)? Especially when you’re already in the midst of a depressive episode. Our staff writers explore.

Forget the scale for a moment; exercise is about so much more than just your physique and your physical wellbeing. It can do wonders for your mental health, too. In fact, some studies on exercise and mental health show that running for 15 minutes a day, or walking for an hour, reduces the risk of major depression.

But before we lose you to a gush of grueling mental images of intense workouts, of pushing your body to the extreme, of sweat, grunts, and maybe even tears, know that any kind of movement can stack up to help you keep stress, anger, anxiety, and depression at bay.

We know how Herculean the effort can be to even make it into the shower on your worst days of depression, so let’s first gently warm you up with some of the benefits of exercise on mental and emotional health.

Exercise releases feel-good endorphins

Clinical psychologist Hope Magubane says that these endorphins help us reduce stress, sadness, and hopelessness, and help us feel more pleasure. When we exercise, the brain also produces feel-good hormones like dopamine and serotonin, which Magubane says play a key role in uplifting our mood. It’s a natural boost to an overall sense of well-being.

Exercise can make you more resilient

This is because exercise is such an amazing stress buster. For starters, exercise can lower the levels of stress hormones in the body, like cortisol and adrenaline. It can also help to protect your body from the harmful effects of stress. It’s a healthy coping mechanism (so much better than turning to drugs, alcohol, or even binge watching), and it’s a welcome distraction from the very thoughts that are stressing you out and feeding your depression and anxiety.

Exercise can actually give you more energy

It might sound strange that by expending energy, you’re gaining energy, but that’s what the studies are showing. In fact, they say that a walk could be a better energy booster than a nap. Knowing that regular exercise can help us fight fatigue and up our energy levels over time, is an excellent motivator to start planning a little time for a workout each day. 

Exercise can boost your self-esteem

Exercise makes it so much easier to feel good about yourself. There’s that sense of accomplishment that stays with you long after your workout, that sense of feeling stronger (even if you’ve just started), the way your posture changes, the renewed sense of your abilities, and the lighter emotional relationship you have with your body. All because you’re allowing your body to do what it loves … to move!

Exercise can help you sleep better

Even just short bursts of exercise early in the day can help you to regulate your sleep patterns. The more active you are during the day, the more you can increase your sleep drive at night. And if you’re exercising outdoors, that exposure to the sun can help set your body’s clock for a healthier sleep-wake cycle. Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the greatest acts of self-care you can do for yourself.

So there you have it, exercise is an amazing tool for mental health. But where do you start?

If you have bipolar disorder, or suffer from major depression, a workout can feel like a world away, even if it’s something you once found pleasure in. Magubane says this is because depression causes a decrease in pleasure and energy levels, as well as insomnia and difficulty in concentration.

So start with something you love

Don’t plan on going running if you hate running. Exercise is not meant to be a punishment. It can be something that we enjoy doing. Magubane prompts us to ask ourselves questions like, what physically active things did I enjoy doing as a child? What sports do I love watching on TV? And if you’re a parent, what physical activities do I encourage my kids to take part in? Think of it as your playtime, and get creative with it. Remember, even gardening is a form of exercise. But whatever it is that you choose to do, always check with your doctor before you start a new exercise programme. 

Start small

Don’t weigh yourself down with wild ideas like running the Comrades Marathon if you’re not really there yet. It’s always better to start small, especially if you haven’t exercised in a while. Even a little bit of physical activity is better than nothing at all, so perhaps all you can handle right now is a 5 minute walk. And that’s okay. You can always build up from there. And if even that’s too much for you in the midst of your depression, think about doing some light stretching, or even just choosing one yoga pose and doing it for a minute as often as you can. Every little bit helps.

Start with loving kindness

You’re doing this for you. You’re doing this so that you feel better, inside and out. So celebrate every win. Even if that win is that you took a 5 minute walk, you still got up, got out, and took a walk. Coach yourself through your setbacks. If you didn’t get up and get out and take that walk, or that run, or pushed those weights, or boxed that punching bag, don’t beat yourself up about it. Tomorrow is another day.

Magubane puts it best when she says, “Remember to take it one day at a time. You have the power to take control … one muscle at a time.”