Black Dog Institute

Exercise


Feeling tired and being less motivated in general are two very common symptoms of depression. This means that exercise is often the last thing that people feel like doing when they are experiencing depression. However, regular exercise has been shown to have very positive effects upon mental wellbeing. Whilst vigourous exercise releases endorphins (the 'feel good' chemicals that also alleviate pain) into our bloodstream, even gentle to moderate exercise increases serotonin, which has a number of benefits including lifting our mood and helping to counteract insomnia. The good news is that exercise doesn’t need to be strenuous for us to feel some of its many benefits.
How does exercise help depression?

Increasing energy levels
Helping to get a good night’s sleep
Providing distraction from worries and rumination
Providing social support and reducing loneliness if exercise is done with other people
Increasing a sense of control and self-esteem, by taking an active role in the individual’s own recovery.

Evidence for the benefits of exercise in managing depression

Numerous studies have shown that people who exercise regularly experience fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety than those who do not exercise regularly
Several trials have shown that regular exercise of moderate intensity can be an effective treatment by itself for mild to moderate depression
Two trials have found that 16 weeks of regular exercise is equally effective as an SSRI antidepressant medication in the treatment of mild to moderate depression in older adults who have been inactive
Research also suggests that exercise can further assist depression in individuals with depression who have responded only partially to an antidepressant medication
Both aerobic exercise (e.g. brisk walking, cycling or jogging) and resistance or strength training (e.g. weight-lifting) have been found to be beneficial for depression.


Exercise recommendations

The National Physical Activity Guidelines for Australians recommend:

a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise on most, preferably all, days of the week (an example of ‘moderate intensity’ exercise is brisk walking where you notice a slight increase in breathing and heart rate)
exercising for at least 10 minutes at a time - the 30-minutes total does not need to be continuous – you can combine short sessions of different activities to a total of 30 minutes or more each day
being active in as many ways you can each day (e.g. use the stairs).

Getting started

Start slowly and build up gradually. For example, if you have not been exercising at all, start with a 10-15 minute walk each morning, and gradually increase this to 30 minutes per day
Set short-term realistic goals for exercising each week (e.g. 3 x 20 minute walks per week). Plan to exercise at specific times of the day that fit in with your lifestyle and write your plan down
You don’t have to join a gym – try a variety of different types of activities to find those that you enjoy (e.g. swimming, walking the dog, jogging whilst listening to music, riding a bike, gardening, bushwalking, yoga, weight-lifting)
Give yourself a break – if you don’t stick to your exercise plan, simply start again from where you left off
Remember that it can take time for the benefits of exercise to occur. (Most exercise studies showing a significant reduction in depression have examined exercise programs of at least 8 weeks).

More information

See our fact sheet 'Exercise and depression'