How Exercise Can Improve Mood for the Better

May is Mental Health Awareness month.  Unfortunately, there is still a stigma around people talking about and receiving help for their mental health.  If more people would be willing to discuss their state of mind, I believe we would be more accepting of one another.  Life is hard!  We each have challenges we face and outside factors that are out of our control that can affect our moods.  Coming out of COVID shutdown, many people had suffered from varying levels of anxiety and/or depression.  Gyms, classes, and other fitness opportunities were all closed so, people had to get creative about how to achieve exercise and keep their 6-foot distance from one another.  We have all been told time and time again that exercise can help boost your mood in a positive way.

So, what does a person do?  What exercises and duration are most important to help shift a person’s mood?  A recent study performed at the University of South Australia with Lead UniSA researcher, Dr. Ben Singh, included 128,119 participants to see how exercise changes mental health.  This study was the first of its kind to evaluate the effects of all types of physical activities on depression, anxiety, and psychological distress in all adult populations.  Dr. Singh and his research team found that “Higher intensity exercise had greater improvements for depression and anxiety, while longer durations had smaller effects when compared to short and mid-duration bursts.  We also found that all types of physical activity and exercise were beneficial, including aerobic exercise such as walking, resistance training, Pilates, and yoga.  Despite the findings, exercise, is rarely used as first form of treatment.”

One of the challenging parts of this equation is getting a person who is depressed or struggling with anxiety to begin an exercise program.  Often the person is experiencing low energy, tiredness, and lack of motivation.  So, start small and work up to more intense workouts.  Just start!  Find an accountability partner who will exercise with you.  Maybe start by just taking walks and then build on that and add various types of exercise and eventually add in strength training.  Try to be mindful when you are exercising such as, focusing on your breath, sensation of feet hitting the payment or the wind in your hair.  Staying present while exercising can help reduce anxiety.

What are common barriers to starting exercising & how to overcome them?

·       Feeling exhausted – Tell yourself, I am only going to take a 5-minute walk.  Exercise is a powerful energizer and chances are you will continue to move your body.

·       Feeling overwhelmed – Exercising can feel overwhelming if your stressed, tired, needing to find childcare, etc.  In that case, fit it in where you can such as, 10 squats, 10 lunges and 10 jumping jacks at the park while playing with your kids.

·       Feeling hopeless- Start slow with low impact moves to help boost confidence.

·       Feeling bad about yourself – Maybe just start by walking outside or doing yoga in the comfort of your own home if you are feeling self-conscious about your body.  Then, maybe work up to trying a class with other people to mix it up.

·       Feeling pain – If you are experiencing any sort of pain, talk with your doctor first about what exercise will be right for you.

What happens in your body when exercising is improving your mood?

·       Releasing feel-good endorphins, natural cannabis-like brain chemicals (endogenous cannabinoids) and other natural brain chemicals that can enhance your sense of well-being

·       Taking your mind off worries so you can get away from the cycle of negative thoughts that feed depression and anxiety

·       Changes in the brain, including neural growth, reduced inflammation, and new activity patterns that promote feelings of calm and well-being.

Exercise is a healthy coping strategy when dealing with anxiety or depression.  “Doing something positive to manage depression or anxiety is a healthy coping strategy. Trying to feel better by drinking alcohol, dwelling on how you feel, or hoping depression or anxiety will go away on its own can lead to worsening symptoms.”

Exercise is not just about running laps, its other physical activities too that get your heart pumping.  This could include gardening, washing your car, playing soccer or basketball, or taking your dog for a walk.  Basically, anything that gets you off the couch and moving can help improve mood.  Get creative in ways to get physical movement such as park further away from entrance to a store to get more of a walk or if you live close enough to work, maybe take your bike.  However, this study from University of South Australia indicated that more intense exercise showed greater benefits for mood.  Also, a key component to exercise is finding an activity that you enjoy and stick with it for the long term!

How long do you need to exercise to see benefits?

“Doing 30 minutes or more of exercise a day for three to five days a week may significantly improve depression or anxiety symptoms.”  This is a general guideline, if this 30-minute goal is not attainable at the beginning, start with smaller increments of time.  Consult with your doctor and mental health professional to discuss an exercise program that will work best with your treatment plan.  Another study from “Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that running for 15 minutes a day or walking for an hour reduces the risk of major depression by 26%”

Focus your mind on thinking of exercise as one of your tools to help you feel better rather than another chore.  This type of mindset can set you up for success, helping you weave movement into your daily life.  Each day will not look the same with your exercise plan since life gets busy and things pop up.  So, give yourself grace and be proud of the times you do move your body and praise yourself for that!

“If you exercise regularly but depression or anxiety symptoms still interfere with your daily living, see your doctor or mental health professional. Exercise and physical activity are great ways to ease symptoms of depression or anxiety, but they aren't a substitute for talk therapy (psychotherapy) or medications.”