Exercise is One of the Most Potent and Underrated Ways to Ease Depression and Anxiety

Photo Credit: Noni Julia

Ever feel yourself dragging your feet through the door to get in that quick workout? It can truly be the last thing you want to do when you first wake up in the morning or after you’ve finished a long day at work. But it seems like as soon as you get it done, you all of a sudden feel so much better. You might even feel less sad or anxious than when you did prior to your workout. Exercise is one of the most potent and underrated ways to ease depression & anxiety.

When it comes to supporting our mental health, it’s important that we are taking care of our bodies through the way that we treat it. This includes getting healthy movement into your day. Exercise not only has incredible benefits for our physical health, but for our mental health as well.

When you’re dealing with depression and anxiety, sometimes the very last thing you want to do is work out. But when you can find the drive to work out, exercise has incredible benefits for your mental health. Exercise helps to ease depression and anxiety by triggering the immediate release of the “feel good” endorphins in your body. Exercise also helps to pull your attention away from your anxious thoughts, and distraction can be key for anxiety. Exercise also helps you to feel more confident and cope with the challenges that life can bring in healthier ways.

Overall, the benefits far outweigh any resistance you might have to doing so in the first place. Although there are probably times where it may be the last thing that we want to do, you never regret working out afterwards.