How exercise impacts mood & depression

What impact does exercise have on mood and depression? Medical News Today (2019)

characterizes exercise as engaging in physical activity that increases heart rate and preserves physical and mental health. Versatile approaches to exercise allow for the strengthening of the body, which can improve overall wellbeing. Exercise can benefit physical well-being by aiding the immune system in combating health conditions, supporting weight control, and inducing healthy sleep cycles. Outside of physical or aesthetic benefit, physical activity has shown profound changes to mood progressively with an increase in self confidence and improvement in self-esteem. 

Mood is related to one’s emotional state, which stems from reactive emotional experiences through affect over time. Experiencing a prolonged sad or depressed mood can negatively influence self-esteem and cause feelings of frustration and helplessness. When this mood lasts for more than 2 weeks, it is considered depression, one of the most common mental health disorders (National Institute of Mental Health, 2024). Xie et. al (2021) projects it to be in the top 3 disease burdens, affecting about 150 million people worldwide and projected to triple the financial toll of treatment and prevention by 2030.  It is characterized by low mood, inability to experience joy, and significant loss of interest. They also reported that approximately 1 in 5 women and 1 in 8 men have suffered from a major depressive episode during their life. Despite the many different treatment to combat depression (most commonly including antidepressants and psychotherapy), Xie et al. (2021) notes that studies have shown concerns about antidepressant efficacy and tolerability in patients, as there has been a decrease of 50% or more in depressive symptoms by patients prescribed antidepressants. They also mentioned that there has been a significant dropout rate drug therapy, ranging from 15 to 132% higher than placebo. This statistic of pharmacological treatments highlights the challenge in achieving effective clinical treatment, bringing concerns to antidepressant efficacy and tolerability. While depression is a disorder of the brain that leads to emotional anguish, such changes in the brain stimulate negative impacts on the functioning of the physical body. Depression may contribute to increased aches and pains, chronic fatigue, decreased appetite, and even insomnia. Such concerns call for the need to explore non-pharmacological approaches to depression treatment, such as exercise. Exercise not only maintains and strengthens one’s physical body and well-being, but also enhances mental health and self-esteem. 

Doing physical activity has shown significant improvements in individuals’ mental health and overall well-being. Basso and Suzuki (2017) conducted a study regarding the effect of acute exercise on mood and cognitive functions in humans, and found cognitive and behavioral changes to the brain after physical activity (Basso, 2017). As you work out, your brain releases neurotransmitters, which serve as chemical mood boosters for your body. The release of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, aid in regulating emotions, sleep, and peptides. Serotonin is integral for reducing anxiety and depression significantly. Additionally, dopamine has been associated with the positive effects of exercise on cognitive functioning. The release of dopamine allows you to experience those rewarding feelings from exercise and the feeling of increased motivation. Additionally, dopamine enhances endurance in exercise performance, allowing for the release of more neurotransmitters. The interaction of these neurotransmitters contribute to high levels of self-esteem and positive affect.

Basso & Suzuki (2017) provide evidence that exercise can significantly improve the prefrontal cortex, enhancing executive functions (e.g., attention, cognitive flexibility, decision-making). This study showed that different exercise intensities produced positive outcomes with the effects persisting for up to two hours after the exercises ended. Exercise can not only reduce the risk of various neurological diseases, but has been an effective strategy for alleviating symptoms associated with mood and psychological disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, PTSD). Prospective cohort studies have found the largest improvements in mood and decreases in tension, depression, anger, and confusion after enjoyable exercises at intensity levels suitable for individuals. Providing autonomy and a sense of control for individuals in exercise, and gradually building discipline through routine can enhance self-worth. Pairing this with positive feedback can improve self-confidence and life satisfaction. 

Exercise is helpful in increasing mood and decreasing the effects of depression as it can combat different health conditions and diseases in versatile ways. The various effects of exercise maintains and strengthens one’s physical body and wellbeing, but moreso, enhancing one’s mental health and self-esteem. Exercise can become an integral aspect to overall well-being as it has been proven to alter chemical transitions in your brain, allowing your body to become relaxed and raise improvement in self-esteem. While the notion of exercise already has positive connotations to it and is assumed to be beneficial, the kind of exercise that is being conducted should be one that individuals genuinely enjoy and do not feel burdened by. The purpose of exercise is not just aimed at achieving a certain body type or weight, but rather, an outlet for enjoyment that also acts upon improving self-esteem, and overall preserves the physical and mental health of individuals.

Works Cited 

Basso, J. C., & Suzuki, W. A. (2017, February 13). The Effects of Acute Exercise on Mood, 

Cognition, Neurophysiology, and Neurochemical Pathways: A Review. NCBI. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5928534

Bubnis, D., & Felman, A. (2019, June 27). Exercise: Health benefits, types, and how it works. 

Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153390 

Hu, M. X., Turner, D., Generaal, E., Bos, D., Ikram, M. K., Ikram, M. A., Cuijpers, P., & 

Penninx, B. (2020, August 18). Exercise interventions for the prevention of depression: a systematic review of meta-analyses - BMC Public Health. BMC Public Health. https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-020-09323-y

National Institute of Mental Health. (2024, March). Depression - National Institute of Mental 

Health (NIMH). National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression

Xie, Y., Wu, Z., Sun, L., Zhou, L., Wang, G., Xiao, L., & Wang, H. (2021, November 5). The 

Effects and Mechanisms of Exercise on the Treatment of Depression. NCBI. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8602192/