Why Exercise Helps With Anxiety and Depression
If you’ve ever gone for a walk to clear your head or hit the gym after a stressful day, you might have noticed that exercise makes you feel better. But why? Science has a lot to say about how physical activity improves mental health, especially for anxiety and depression.
1. Your Brain on Exercise: A Natural Mood Booster
When you exercise, your brain releases chemicals like endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin—often called the “feel-good” neurotransmitters. These chemicals help regulate mood, reduce stress, and create a sense of well-being. Some antidepressants work by increasing serotonin levels, but exercise does this naturally!
Exercise also boosts Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), which helps your brain grow and adapt. People with depression often have lower levels of BDNF, and regular physical activity can help restore it.
Read more about how exercise affects brain chemistry (Harvard Medical School)
2. Stress Reduction and the Mind-Body Connection
When you’re anxious, your body activates the stress response, releasing cortisol (the stress hormone). Exercise helps regulate cortisol levels, preventing them from staying high for too long. Over time, this makes your body and brain more resilient to stress.
Exercise also activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps you relax. Activities like yoga, walking, and swimming engage this system, lowering heart rate and blood pressure and creating a sense of calm.
Learn how exercise reduces stress (American Psychological Association)
3. Breaking the Cycle of Depression and Anxiety
One of the biggest challenges in depression and anxiety is feeling stuck—whether it’s ruminating on negative thoughts, avoiding activities, or withdrawing from others. Exercise acts as a pattern interrupt, helping people break out of these cycles.
For depression, movement counteracts fatigue and low motivation. Even a short walk can make it easier to engage in daily life.
For anxiety, exercise provides a healthy outlet for nervous energy. It helps people build tolerance to physical sensations (like a racing heart or shortness of breath) that might otherwise trigger panic.
See how exercise compares to therapy and medication for depression (Medical News Today)
4. Motivation and Long-Term Benefits
One reason people struggle to stick with exercise is motivation. A helpful approach comes from Self-Determination Theory, which suggests that lasting behaviour change happens when:
You enjoy what you’re doing (intrinsic motivation)
You feel competent and capable in the activity
You have social support or a sense of connection
This means exercise shouldn’t feel like a chore! Finding an activity you like—whether it’s dancing, biking, or gardening—makes it easier to keep going.
Tips for getting started (Mayo Clinic)
The Takeaway
Exercise isn’t a cure-all, but it’s a powerful tool for managing anxiety and depression. It changes brain chemistry, lowers stress, and helps break negative patterns. The key is to start small and find something you enjoy.
Check out Canada’s physical activity guidelines (Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology)
What’s one small way you can move today?
