Major Review Reveals The Best Exercises For Easing Depression

Depression and anxiety affect millions of people across the world, placing a substantial burden on individuals, families and health services.

Medicines and psychotherapy (often referred to as “talking therapy”) can work extremely well, but they are not feasible for everyone. Common obstacles include the cost of private care, stigma, lengthy waiting times for appointments, and the possibility of unwanted side effects from some drugs.

That brings many people to a practical question: can exercise help? Our latest study, published today, supports the idea that physical activity can, for some people, be as effective as therapy or medication. The effect appears particularly strong when exercise is social and professionally guided - for instance, a coached gym session or a running club.

The existing evidence on exercise, depression and anxiety

For years, physical activity has been promoted as an option for treating depression and anxiety, in part because it is linked with the release of brain chemicals that can lift mood and dampen stress responses.

Even so, the research landscape has been difficult to interpret. There are hundreds of studies with mixed outcomes, making it hard to pin down how much exercise is useful, which forms matter most, and who benefits the most.

Over roughly the last 20 years, scientists have published many separate meta-analyses (research that pools results from multiple trials) on exercise for depression and anxiety. Yet despite that volume of work, uncertainty has remained - including whether outcomes vary by age group and whether the type of exercise changes the results.

Another complication is that many studies include participants with factors that can blur the picture (known as confounders), such as additional long-term conditions like diabetes or arthritis. This can limit how confidently we can apply findings to broader populations.

What we did: a meta-meta-analysis of exercise

To clarify the evidence, we carried out a meta- meta-analysis. In practical terms, this meant we systematically reviewed and synthesised the results of all the existing meta-analyses we could identify - 81 in total - to establish what the overall body of evidence indicates.

Combined, those meta-analyses drew on data from nearly 80,000 participants across more than 1,000 original trials.

We also explored why results differed between studies, examining variations such as:

• Who was studied (for example, people with a clinical diagnosis of depression or anxiety versus those experiencing symptoms; different age groups; and women during pregnancy and after childbirth)
• What the exercise involved (for example, aerobic activity versus resistance training and mind–body exercise such as yoga; whether sessions were supervised by a professional; plus intensity and programme length)
• Whether the exercise was done alone or as part of a group

In addition, we used advanced statistical methods to better separate the effects of exercise from confounding influences (including other long-term health conditions).

Our analysis focused on the impact of exercise by itself on depression and anxiety. Because many people also use antidepressants and/or therapy, additional research is needed to understand outcomes when exercise is combined with these treatments.

What the study found about exercise for depression and anxiety

Overall, exercise reduced symptoms of both depression and anxiety - though the size of the benefit differed.

Compared with remaining inactive, we found exercise produced:

• A large improvement in depression symptoms
• A moderate improvement in anxiety symptoms

These gains were comparable to - and in some cases better than - commonly used mental health treatments, including psychotherapy and antidepressant medication.

Crucially, the data also highlighted who appeared to benefit most. The greatest improvements were seen in:

• Adults aged 18 to 30
• Women who had recently given birth

Many new mothers face real barriers to getting active after childbirth, including limited time, reduced confidence, and a lack of suitable, affordable options. The results indicate that improving access to appropriate exercise opportunities could be an important strategy for supporting maternal mental health during this particularly vulnerable period.

How you exercise matters: aerobic activity and supervised group exercise

The type and context of activity also made a difference.

Aerobic exercise - such as walking, running, cycling or swimming - showed the strongest overall reductions in both depression and anxiety symptoms. That said, every major category of exercise helped, including:

• Resistance training (for example, weight lifting)
• Mind–body approaches (for example, yoga)

For depression specifically, improvements were larger when people exercised with others and had professional guidance, such as in an instructor-led group fitness session.

For anxiety, there was not enough available research on supervised or group formats to determine whether the same pattern holds, which points to a clear gap for future studies.

Frequency and intensity showed some interesting nuances:

• For depression, exercising once or twice per week produced a similar effect to working out more often.
• There was no clear difference between vigorous and low-intensity activity for depression - both were beneficial.
• For anxiety, the best improvements were linked with exercise done:
  • consistently for up to eight weeks, and
  • at a lower intensity, such as a gentle walk or steady-paced swimming lengths

What this means for treatment (and why “exercise more” isn’t enough)

These findings support exercise as a credible, evidence-based option for treating depression and anxiety, particularly for people with diagnosed conditions.

However, the results also suggest that generic advice to “be more active” is unlikely to deliver the best outcomes. The strongest evidence points towards structured, supervised exercise that includes a social component. Social support and accountability may be part of what helps people keep going when motivation is low.

For clinicians, this implies that referrals to specific, practical programmes - such as aerobic classes, coached walking groups, or supervised running sessions - are likely to be more helpful than broad, non-specific recommendations.

In the UK context, this aligns well with approaches such as social prescribing, where patients may be connected to local, supportive activities. Options might include community walking groups and organised initiatives (for example, weekly timed runs or walks) that make attendance routine and reduce the “activation energy” required to start.

Two extra considerations: safety and making exercise easier to start

While exercise is generally safe, it is not one-size-fits-all. People with physical limitations, recent injury, pregnancy-related concerns, or long-term conditions should consider tailored guidance so that activity is appropriate and sustainable. For some, beginning with low-intensity movement and gradually progressing is more realistic than attempting a demanding programme from day one.

It can also help to treat exercise like any other health intervention: define what you will do, when you will do it, and with whom. Choosing an activity you find acceptable (even if it is simply a regular walk), setting a specific schedule, and doing it with a friend or group can make it far easier to maintain - which is especially important given the role consistency appears to play for anxiety.

The takeaway

For anyone reluctant to take medication or facing long waits for talking therapy, supervised group exercise may offer an effective alternative. It is evidence-based, and it can be started at any time.

Even so, it is wise to seek professional advice. If you are experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression, speak to your GP or a psychologist. They can help you decide how exercise fits into your overall treatment plan - potentially alongside therapy and/or medication.

Neil Munro, PhD Candidate in Psychology, James Cook University; James Dimmock, Professor in Psychology, James Cook University; Klaire Somoray, Lecturer in Psychology, James Cook University; and Samantha Teague, Senior Research Fellow in Psychology, James Cook University.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. You can read the original on The Conversation website.