Exercise isn’t a depression cure-all — there’s no such thing. But plenty of research shows that exercise can reduce or even prevent symptoms of depression.
Among people with depression and similar health conditions, exercise appears to have substantial mental health benefits. For instance, a systematic review found that exercise can significantly improve depressive symptoms when used as an add-on therapy to usual treatment — and the more exercise, the better, researchers noted.
So, how much exercise do you need to feel better? Engaging in at least 30 minutes of exercise on five days of the week could significantly lessen depressive symptoms. If you’re short on time or your symptoms make it hard to get started, even a 10- to 15-minute spurt of exercise could make a difference.
Not sure where to start or what activities to try? Here are seven great exercises that science suggests can help ease depression symptoms.
1. Go for a Run for an All-Natural Mood Boost
Lacing up your sneakers and going running or jogging may help you feel better if you’re struggling with depression. In fact, some research suggests running is similarly effective to antidepressants among people with depression, an anxiety disorder, or both.
One reason it helps: “The most tangible example of exercise stimulating certain brain chemicals is the runner’s high that many athletes report experiencing once crossing a certain threshold of exertion,” says David Muzina, MD, a psychiatrist based in Cleveland. That sense of euphoria is thought to be due to the release of endorphins in the brain in response to sustained physical activity.
“Endorphins reduce your perception of pain and trigger a positive feeling in the body,” adds Sanam Hafeez, PsyD, a neuropsychologist based in New York City.
2. Lift Your Mood by Lifting Some Weights
Strength-training exercises also help relieve symptoms of depression, according to research.
Another prior review of studies showed that adults who exercise with weights are less likely to develop depression than those who never exercise with weights.
How do barbells and similar equipment brighten your mood? For some people with mild to moderate depression, weight training can be a somewhat meditative practice, says Dr. Hafeez. “While you are weight training, your mind is focused on the task at hand and not thinking about anything else,” she says.
Not to mention, there are other benefits, such as increased muscle definition, elevated blood flow, and hard work — all of which can improve your outlook and give you a deep sense of satisfaction when you reach your goals, Hafeez says.
Just be sure to start slowly and use the assistance of a personal trainer if needed.
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3. Combine Yoga With Other Treatments to Feel Even Better
Practicing yoga is another activity that can ease symptoms of depression, with little risk of any adverse effects, according to one study.
“Eastern traditions such as yoga have a wonderful antidepressant effect in that they improve flexibility; involve mindfulness, which breaks up repetitive negative thoughts; increase strength; make you aware of your breathing; improve balance; and contain a meditative component,” says Norman E. Rosenthal, MD, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, DC.
Dr. Rosenthal suggests starting with a yoga class in your area so you can be sure that you’re doing the movements and poses properly. Group yoga offers social benefits, too, Hafeez adds.
One small, prior study found that doing 60 minutes of a yoga practice twice a week over the course of 12 weeks decreased levels of depression and anxiety and increased self-esteem among older women.
4. Relieve Stress With Graceful Tai Chi Moves
Like yoga, tai chi is another Eastern tradition that might help ease depression. Specifically, this slow, gentle practice may help reduce stress and relieve symptoms of depression, according to a review of research.
Practicing tai chi in a group setting may also play a role in depression relief. “A group class can reinforce a sense of autonomy and connectedness with others. You can also develop a social support network in an exercise class that you might not form when exercising alone,” says Hafeez.
5. Walk Regularly to Help Ease the Blues
Simply putting one foot in front of the other may be the trick to feeling better — that’s because walking is an aerobic exercise that’s suited for almost everyone. All it takes is a pair of comfortable, supportive shoes, and you’re ready to go.
“Practical wisdom suggests that doing something is better than doing nothing in terms of physical activity,” says Dr. Muzina. If depression has made you sedentary, start off slowly and gradually increase time and distance, he advises.
Hafeez agrees. “If you set too high of expectations, you may self-blame and feel guilty if you don’t meet those expectations. Set expectations that are realistic, such as going on a five-minute walk,” she explains.
6. Get a Healthy Dose of Sunlight With Outdoor Activities
If you enjoy being outdoors, even simple activities such as gardening, throwing a ball around with your kids, or washing your car may do your mood some good. One reason may be that sunlight has been shown to facilitate increases in serotonin, a mood-supporting brain chemical. Changes in brain chemicals during the darker, colder months have been linked to some cases of seasonal affective disorder.
“Choose whatever [outdoor activity] works for you, depending on your functioning level, energy, and preferences,” says Shoshana Bennett, PhD, a clinical psychologist based in Los Angeles.
7. Break Out of a Funk by Bouncing
Having a hard time finding an exercise you enjoy? One simple strategy is to bounce. Jumping on a mini trampoline, also known as a rebounder, is a fun way to work your cardiovascular system without taxing your joints.
“You don’t need to jump, but bend your knees and bounce as quickly as you can for a few minutes,” says Dr. Bennett. “This is an easy way to oxygenate your brain and get some endorphins flowing.”
Like other forms of aerobic exercise, bouncing on a trampoline can help your brain release serotonin as well as oxytocin (another mood-boosting brain chemical), Hafeez says.
“The spike in neurochemicals will give the feeling of being happy and help with depression,” Hafeez says. Rebounding exercises also increase blood flow to muscles, loosen overused muscles, help you relax, and promote better sleeping patterns, Hafeez adds.
How to Get Started With Exercise for Depression
Psychologically, exercise is a great way to improve self-esteem and self-efficacy, as there are small goals, such as walking or running a certain distance or for a certain amount of time, that you can work toward achieving. In addition to these benefits, socially, exercise — particularly when done in a class setting or with a friend or partner — can strengthen your relationships with others.
But for people with depression, starting an exercise routine may not be easy. “It can be more difficult for people with depression to exercise because depression can reduce energy, cause body aches, increase pain perception, and disrupt sleep, resulting in less motivation to exercise,” says Hafeez.
Her recommendation is to start with five minutes a day of walking or any form of movement like yoga or tai chi. As you get into shape, you’ll begin to look forward to these relaxing breaks in your day and enjoy it more and more. “Five minutes of activity will become 10, 10 will become 15, etc.,” Hafeez says.
The Takeaway
Ample research has shown that, while not a cure-all for depression, exercise can help reduce depressive symptoms.
Research suggests that activities like running and walking, as well as strength training, yoga, and tai chi, can all help to alleviate depression symptoms when practiced regularly.
Starting small and gradually increasing the length of time spent exercising can make getting started more manageable.
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Resources
Noetel M et al. Effect of exercise for depression: systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ. February 14, 2024.
Depression and Anxiety: Exercise Eases Symptoms. Mayo Clinic. December 2023.
Verhoeven JE et al. Antidepressants or running therapy: Comparing effects on mental and physical health in patients with depression and anxiety disorders. Journal of Affective Disorders. May 2023.
Linden DJ. The Truth Behind ‘Runner’s High’ and Other Mental Benefits of Running. Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Gordon BR et al. Association of Efficacy of Resistance Exercise Training With Depressive Symptoms: Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. JAMA Psychiatry. June 2018.
Wu Y et al. Effectiveness of Yoga for Major Depressive Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Frontiers in Psychiatry. March 2023.
Ramanathan M et al. Effect of a 12-Week Yoga Therapy Program on Mental Health Status in Elderly Women Inmates of a Hospice. International Journal of Yoga. April 2017.
Kong J et al. Treating Depression With Tai Chi: State of the Art and Future Perspectives. Frontiers in Psychiatry. April 2019.
Kayli Anderson has over a decade of experience in nutrition, culinary education, and lifestyle medicine. She believes that eating well should be simple, pleasurable, and sustainable. Anderson has worked with clients from all walks of life, but she currently specializes in nutrition therapy and lifestyle medicine for women. She’s the founder of PlantBasedMavens.com, a hub for women to get evidence-based, practical, and woman-centered guidance on nutrition and cooking, hormone health, fertility, pregnancy, movement, mental well-being, nontoxic living, and more.
Anderson is board-certified in lifestyle medicine and serves as lead faculty of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine’s (ACLM) "Food as Medicine" course. She is past chair of the ACLM's registered dietitian member interest group, secretary of the women's health member interest group, and nutrition faculty for many of ACLM's other course offerings. She is the coauthor of the Plant-Based Nutrition Quick Start Guide and works with many of the leading organizations in nutrition and lifestyle medicine to develop nutrition content, recipes, and educational programs.
Anderson frequently speaks on the topics of women’s health and plant-based nutrition and has coauthored two lifestyle medicine textbooks, including the first one on women’s health, Improving Women's Health Across the Lifespan.
She received a master's degree in nutrition and physical performance and is certified as an exercise physiologist and intuitive eating counselor. She's a student of herbal medicine and women's integrative and functional medicine. She lives with her husband in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, where you’ll find her out on a trail or in her garden.
Wyatt Myers is a content designer and freelance writer based in Olathe, Kansas, who focuses on health, fitness, and nutrition. Myers has contributed content to more than a dozen Rodale books, including The Doctor's Book of Home Remedies, Healing With Vitamins, and Cholesterol Cures. He's also written for Prevention, Men's Health, and Muscle & Fitness, among many other magazines.
