In today’s always-on world, stress, anxiety and depression are regular parts of life for many people. What gets less attention, though, is how strongly physical health influences mental health, and why exercise is one of the most powerful tools not just for preventing mental health issues, but for treating them.
In this article, we’re going to look at the research around exercise and the impact it has on mental health. We’ll learn more about the links and how exercise can help boost our physical and psychological well-being.
Exercise and Mental Health… What the Research Shows
There’s long been a link between ‘healthy body, healthy mind’, but the research over the last 20 or so years has more than just agreed with the statement - it has offered conclusive proof that the benefits of exercise are powerful enough to be considered a medical intervention for a range of mental health issues.
Research shows that sufferers of depression, anxiety and a range of other conditions can benefit from exercise as much as, and often more than, they would from medications.
Here’s what we know…
Exercise Helps Treat Depression & Boost Mood
A 2004 research review study titled ‘The Benefits of Exercise for the Clinically Depressed’ looked at people with clinical depression and found structured exercise (walking 20-40 minutes 3 times per week, for example) significantly reduced depressive symptoms.
The researchers concluded…
“The efficacy of exercise in decreasing symptoms of depression has been well established. Data regarding the positive mood effects of exercise involvement, independent of fitness gains, suggest that the focus should be on frequency of exercise rather than duration or intensity.”
There’s more than just that though. Another research study from 2024 titled ‘The Effects and Mechanisms of Exercise on the Treatment of Depression’ looked at 14 years of research into the link between exercise and depression.
The researchers drew clear conclusions…
"‘Exercise has therapeutic effects on depression in all age groups (mostly 18–65 years old), as a single therapy, an adjuvant therapy, or a combination therapy, and the benefits of exercise therapy are comparable to traditional treatments for depression.
Moderate intensity exercise is enough to reduce depressive symptoms, but higher-dose exercise is better for overall functioning. Exercise therapy has become more widely used because of its benefits to the cardiovascular system, emotional state, and systemic functions.’
The results of these studies show that exercise works across age groups and settings: as a stand-alone therapy, alongside medication, or in combination with other interventions.
Dose-Response Relationship: Exercise as Treatment, Not Just a Once-Off
One of the strongest messages from recent studies is that it’s not just if you exercise, but how much and how often that matters.
In the 2021 Frontiers review, moderate intensity exercise reduces symptoms, but higher-dose exercise (more frequent or greater volume) leads to better outcomes in overall functioning.
Other studies also find a dose-response pattern: more frequent exercise has bigger effects on reducing psychological distress, depression, and anxiety, compared to low or sporadic activity. Frequency is often the strongest predictor of benefit.
How Exercise Helps: Key Benefits
Putting together what the studies and broader literature find, here are some of the ways in which being physically active can lead to better mental health:
Stress Relief
Exercise helps reduce levels of stress hormones like cortisol, while simultaneously stimulating the release of endorphins and other mood-boosting chemicals. It’s a natural buffer against daily stress.
Improved Mood & Reduced Depressive Symptoms
Regular exercise has effects comparable to antidepressants or psychotherapy in many studies, particularly for mild-to-moderate depression. It helps lift mood even when other treatments are in play.
Cognitive Benefits
Physical exercise improves functions like memory, attention, executive function, and helps with cognitive clarity. For people with depression, that’s especially useful, as symptoms often include brain fog, difficulty concentrating, or slowed thinking.
Resilience & Self-Efficacy
Completing exercise routines gives people a sense of achievement, control and confidence. In a world where many things can feel chaotic or overwhelming, that sense of control helps.
Overall Quality of Life
Beyond mood, exercise improves sleep, energy levels, physical health, body image, and even social interaction. All these feed into better mental wellbeing.
Why Exercise Needs to Be Regular
Here’s why thinking of exercise as a regular treatment (not just a one-off) is crucial:
Mental health symptoms tend to build up over time. Sporadic exercise gives short-term relief, but frequent, consistent activity sustains change.
The dose-response relationship means that doing more (within reason) more often produces better results. For example, walking 20-40 minutes 3 times per week helped in PMC 2004; in Frontiers, more frequent/moderate or higher-dose sessions improved broader functioning.
Mental health is affected day to day. When exercise is built into your routine, you get regular “doses” of its benefits—better moods, better sleep, better ability to cope with stress.
The Modern Challenge & Why Exercise Belongs in Treatment Plans
In our modern world:
Many of us are under constant digital stimulation—phones, notifications, endless work demands—and that adds chronic stress.
Sedentary jobs, commuting, longer working hours, fewer reasons to move all mean physical inactivity is common, which worsens mental health outcomes.
For a lot of people, medication or therapy is important—but adding exercise gives them more tools. It’s not instead of, it’s alongside.
When mental health practitioners recognise exercise as part of the treatment plan, and individuals treat exercise like a prescription—not optional—it starts to really work.
Practical Tips to Get Started & Make It Stick
To make exercise part of your mental health toolkit, try these:
Begin with something manageable: 2-3 sessions a week, even just walking or light cardio.
Mix things up: strength, aerobic, flexibility work. Variety helps physically, mentally, and keeps motivation up.
Try to build toward frequency: aim for more days rather than longer sessions initially.
Use accountability: join a class, train with a friend, track your progress.
Rest, sleep, and nutrition matter. If you train hard but neglect recovery, you lose benefits or risk burnout.
Physical health doesn’t just impact how strong, fast or lean you are—it’s deeply connected to how well you think, handle stress, and feel day-to-day.
The evidence is clear: exercise is effective in reducing depressive symptoms, elevating mood, improving cognitive function, and helping people cope with stress. And it works best when it’s regular—when exercise becomes a habit, not a one-off.
At AdMac Fitness, we believe in treating fitness and mental wellbeing as inseparable: your workouts aren’t just for your body—they’re medicine for your mind. Want help building an exercise plan that supports your mental health? We’re here.
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We help people using tried and tested fitness approaches. Our expert team of personal trainers, based in both Bow and South Woodford can help you get a grip of your health forever. With our guidance and experience, you can relax knowing that your fitness journey is going to be guided by some of the best personal trainers in East London.
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