Exercise for Mental Health 

Mental health is on the rise, and while the stigma is nothing like it used to be, there is 
still a big occurrence of stress, anxiety, and depression. 

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, approximately 40 
million adults in the U.S. alone have some form of anxiety, and 16 million adults have 
major depressive order. 

Chances are, either you or someone you know and love struggles with their mental 
health. One of many ways you can improve your own mental health is through regular 
physical activity.

The following information is not about curing your mental health disorders, but using 
exercise as a way to help manage your symptoms. It should not replace medical 
treatments or keep you from seeing a mental health professional. 

 
1. Benefits of Exercise for Mental Health
 
Health experts have known for decades that physical exercise is not only good for your 
body but is good for your mind as well. Exercise really is good medicine. 
 
There are tons of ways that exercise helps you feel better emotionally, and scientists 
are learning more every day about the benefits of exercise for relieving symptoms of 
stress, anxiety and depression. Below are just five of the many ways that physical 
exercise can make you feel healthier and happier. 


Increases Norepinephrine Levels for Stress Reduction
 
On a physiological level, scientists have observed that norepinephrine, a 
neurotransmitter that helps regulate the body’s response to stress, receives a boost in 
production during exercise. This contributes to reduced stress levels and overall 
feelings of calmness. 
 
So if you’re dealing with high levels of stress at work or in your social life, going for a 
daily run or hitting the gym after work or school can help melt the stress away. 
 






Boosts Your Mood During Exercise
 
Long-distance runners have long known that long runs can produce a euphoric feeling 
known as “runner’s high". Long runs - or other prolonged aerobic exercise sessions - 
stimulate the release of endorphins into the body. 
 
These natural pain killers ease the aches and pains of intense exercise while making 
you feel like a million bucks. In fact, many studies have found that a regular exercise 
plan like running four to six times per week can be just as effective at combating 
depression as taking antidepressants. 
 

Helps You Get More Sleep and Have More Energy
 
Health researchers have demonstrated that people who don’t get a good night’s sleep 
on a regular basis are at higher risk for developing anxiety and depression. Insomnia 
and mental health problems go hand-in-hand, but reducing one can go a long way 
toward improving the other. 
 
Sleep is good for both your mind and body, rejuvenating your cells and giving you 
increased energy and motivation for the day ahead. But when your sleep patterns are 
interrupted or total sleep is cut short, you short-circuit your body’s natural rhythms and 
growth cycles. But exercise can fix that. 
 
Have you ever put in a hard session at the gym or spent the day running around on the 
beach and then slept like a baby all night long? Intense exercise sessions deplete the 
body’s energy reserves and temporarily break down muscle and joint tissues, 
stimulating long, deep, restful sleep. 
 
So by committing to a regular exercise routine, you actually end up getting more sleep 
and having more energy every day, rather than less. 
 

Improves Confidence and Self-Esteem
 
Daily exercise also gives you more confidence and boost your self-esteem. But 
surprisingly, these results are not necessarily linked to weight loss or physical 
appearance, as one might expect. Boost in confidence and self-esteem may actually 
have more to do with a sense of taking control over one’s life, increased personal power 
and sense of accomplishment, overcoming physical challenges and achieving goals. 
 




Boosts Brain Power and Productivity
 
Exercise has also been shown to boost creativity, clear thinking and productivity. 
 
Intense exercise drives blood and oxygen into your brain, stimulating growth and 
healthy mental functioning. And when you engage in exercise on a regular basis, you 
further strengthen your cardiovascular system, which makes it even easier for your 
heart to pump blood, oxygen and nutrients throughout every part of your body - 
including your brain. 
 
So how does this boost your mental health? Well, since everything that is psychological 
is at the same time physiological, it means that improving your physical health 
simultaneously improves your brain function and mental health. 
 
But beside that, being more productive in your life also makes you feel good about 
yourself. When you get more work accomplished at your job or in your business, that 
makes you feel pretty good. And when improved productivity leads to higher income 
and career success, that feels pretty good too. 



2. Exercises for Mental Health: Cardio
 
So what kinds of exercise should you engage in if you suffer from mental health issues 
like stress, depression and anxiety? Well, according to the experts - everything helps. 
Any physical activity that gets you out there moving around, raises your heart rate and 
gets your blood flowing is going to provide physical and mental health benefits. 
 
The key is consistency. And the best way to make daily exercise a habit is to engage in 
a variety of activities that you enjoy. If you’ve never been very active in sports and 
exercise, then you might not know what activities you’ll enjoy. And just thinking about 
going to a gym might seem intimidating. 
 
But there’s really nothing to worry about. Everyone started somewhere. Everyone was a 
beginner at one point. And honestly, most people barely even notice that you’re there 
because they are focusing on their own workout. 
 
If you are a total beginner and are still nervous about how to start, try hiring a personal 
trainer to show you around the gym. You’ll learn how to perform different exercises 
properly and how to work all the major muscles of your body safely and effectively. 
 
Or if you prefer to exercise outside, ask a friend to join you for a walk or jog every 
weekend, or check out a local meetup group for beginning hikers or something similar. 
There are plenty of beginners just like you out there who would be happy to have 
someone to exercise with once or twice a week. 
 
Here are a few more ideas about what types of exercises you can do to improve your 
mental health. 
 

Cardio
 
Cardiovascular exercises are those that cause your heart to pump more blood and 
oxygen throughout your body. Also called aerobics, these exercises rely heavily on 
oxygen to burn up both carbs and fats for fuel over extended periods of time. 
 
There are tons of possible cardio exercises you could choose from:
 
Walking 
Running 
Cycling 
Swimming 
Hiking 
Dancing 
 
You can also use cardio machines at home or at the gym:
 
Treadmill
Stationary Bike
Elliptical
Rowing Machine 
 
A good rule of thumb is to start out at an easy level for just 5-10 minutes per workout 
and then add about 10 percent to your workout time every week. You can also alternate 
between short intervals of intense exercise and restful exercise. For example, jog for 
one minute and then walk for two minutes - then repeat for several cycles throughout 
your workout. 
 
While your heart and lungs will adapt quickly to the exercise and tempt you to increase 
your training volume more quickly, you should resist this temptation and increase 
gradually, because your muscles and joints generally need more time to adapt without 
increased risk of injury. 
 
But in just a few weeks, you’ll find that you can engage in long aerobic workouts that 
make you feel great both during and after exercise. 





 

3. Exercises for Mental Health: Weight Training
 
Lifting weights at the gym is another excellent choice for many people. 
 
The feeling you get after a hard workout in the gym is difficult to explain, but you know it 
when it happens. The burn and soreness that you feel in your muscles the day after a 
hard weight-training session hurts but also feels really good at the same time. And it’s 
really motivating to see your strength improve week after week as you add more reps or 
more weight to the bar over time. 
 
A full-body weight training routine should involve 3-5 sets of 8-12 reps each of basic 
exercises that work all the major muscles of the body, such as the following:

Squat or leg press
Leg extension
Leg curl
Calf raise
Bench press
Shoulder press
Triceps pushdown
Biceps curl
Deadlifts
And many more 
 
Split the exercises up into two or three sessions and spread your workouts throughout 
the week. For instance, perform upper body exercises in one workout and leg and core 
exercises in the next workout. 
 
Warm up your muscles with light weights for the first one or two sets of each exercise, 
and then gradually increase the weights in small increments as you build strength over 
time. Progressively overload the muscles and work each set close to the point of 
exhaustion. 
 













4. Exercises for Mental Health: Yoga and Stretching
 
While yoga and meditation are not always thought of as strenuous physical exercises, 
they definitely have their place in a balanced exercise routine. And many studies have 
shown that these exercises themselves consistently help relieve symptoms of 
depression and anxiety.


Why Yoga?

Yoga provides a wide range of amazing benefits for your mental health and emotional 
wellbeing. Through deep breathing exercises, stretching, and moving your body, you 
get into a relaxed mental state, but also tone and strengthen your muscles at the same 
time.

Another great reason for yoga is that it can be done anywhere, alone or with others, and 
in many different environment. There are videos you can do at home, you can involve 
friends or family, do it at a local gym or yoga studio, or even at the park or beach. 
 
 

5. Exercises for Mental Health: Exploring Other Exercises
 
Most team sports programs bring together a balanced program of exercise that includes 
cardio exercise, explosive bursts of strength training and flexibility training all in one. But 
these activities also offer something that few of the other exercise options above can 
give you - a competitive team environment with built-in social interaction. 
 
It’s difficult to measure which aspect of participating in team sports can benefit you 
more: the physical exercises, the mental aspects of the game or the social interaction 
and camaraderie of playing with like-minded individuals who also enjoy the game. But it 
really doesn’t matter which of these affects you more. You will get many mental and 
emotional benefits from participating in group sports with friends, family, neighbors, 
coworkers or fellow students. 
 
It’s actually pretty easy to put together an exercise routine that boosts your mood, 
alleviates your anxiety and gives you a reason to get outside every day. Just pick any 
one of the ideas above that appeals to you and stick with it for a few weeks. 
 
It might seem difficult at first, but if you keep showing up four or five times per week, 
your body will adapt very quickly. And you mind will love the fun experiences, the 
stimulating workouts and the new lifestyle that you are creating.
