An exercise routine has helped me a lot, exercising sporadically, not so much. I don’t really feel a sudden sense of relief from a single session, but I’ve noticed that when I’m working out regularly, I feel better overall. It’s not a sudden change, and not a “cure all”, but it helps me focus better during the day, sleep better at night, crave less junk food/alcohol, and just feel less sense of “everything sucks”. The routine also really helps me stick to other daily habits that I’m embarrassed to admit I struggle with, such as brushing my teeth.

I’m currently working to get back on my full routine, but in the past, I did weightlifting Mon-Fri, with intense cardio (running, stairs, etc.) MWF and chill cardio (walking) TTh. When I was really, really into it, that naturally led to being quite active on weekends too, such as 5k’s, long ass walks around town, and hiking.

My advice to anyone trying to start a routine is to start small and gradually build it up. So step 1 for getting back to my full routine right now is a short daily walk. Once the short walks become a natural part of my daily rhythm, I might make the walks a little longer, add in a little running, and/or add in some light strength training moves, all depending on my overall goals and what feels within reach.

ETA: Mostly try to find something you enjoy, not something that feels like a chore. Also, diet and fit culture are like poison so I would advice to find true compassionate professionals to help you out in your search.

Yes in my case BUT I had to find the right exercise for me as well as the best time of day to do it.

I now do it everyday and have done so for 17+ years. Sometimes I pepper some different stuff here and there, but nothing crazy. Also, food. The correct meals for me have made all the difference in the world in how I feel. This also includes some extra minerals that my body needs.

Tried it for six months, mostly body weight exercises and dumbbells, three to five times a week. Aside from a moderate improvement in fitness (which I have no interest in), it changed nothing at all. No increased energy, no happy feelings, just a waste of time.

Yes, without a doubt.

A few months ago, a new gym set up near where I live - like, five minutes walking distance away.

We took a tour of it, and saw that it’s a really nice facility. The ventilation and spacing of equipment is good (for avoiding disease), the variety of equipment is good, and it just seems like the ideal gym.

So my family and I thought, “Why not? Let’s get a family membership.” Now I head down there most mornings, spend an hour or so exercising, and then walk back, sometimes with coffee from a nice nearby cafe in hand.

I hadn’t noticed the slow decline in how I felt about my body and my life. I’ve always been a pretty fit guy, but the pandemic made me more sedentary than usual, and it was slowly affecting my self-esteem and mental health.

And I didn’t realize that until the effects of working out regularly showed up and I started looking and feeling better again. It was a “boiled frog” situation.

That gym moving nearby might have saved my life long-term, because I don’t know how I would have gotten the impetus to go to a more distant one otherwise.

It’s just been a few months, but I’ve already put on visible muscle and lowered noticeable belly fat substantially. And more importantly, I feel stronger than I have for several years. Like, lifting things is easier, carrying furniture is easier, just… moving is easier. I probably weigh more, because muscle is denser than fat, but I feel lighter.

It’s a good feeling. It’s clearing away a brain fog I didn’t know I had. My software work is improving, I’m writing again, and I’m re-engaging with hobbies and interests that had fallen by the wayside.

If you can’t or don’t want to get a gym membership, learn some body weight exercises, find a park you can jog at… Do something physical every day. Your brain and body are one system, and keeping all of it tuned and maintained is important for mental health.

Yes. Exercising fixed my depression when nothing else could.

It’s hard to decide any causation for me personally, but my fitness tends to at least correlate positively with my mental health.

When I’m feeling blue about something for a while, I do try to exercise daily. I don’t know whether or not endorphins make a difference for me but I do not that I feel more awake after exercising. I like the feeling that I accomplished something for that day and it keeps my routine regular. The alternative that I can spend a lot of time thinking about something troubling me and I’m not productive.

Heavy lifting specifically works wonders for me.

Here’s my experience. Working out as in strength training I did for 9 months and, no, I did get more fit and that is satisfactory but leaves me just super tired.

Long distance running and cycling I’ve done on and off throughout the years give me a runner’s high and though tired I feel really good.

Kind of, but it’s not a miracle cure or escape. I tried exercising while depressed and I tried exercising after I learned how to manage depression. It never cured my depression but it is part of managing it. It’s part of a healthy life style, which is part of taking care of myself, which is part of not feeling like I hate myself and my life.

I keep going to the gym because I enjoy it and it’s an excellent way for me to vent emotions, no matter what my mood is.

As someone with ADHD, if I don’t workout at least once a week (e.g. walking to the gym & lifting weights for 30-60 mins) and get those endorphins, my mental health starts to noticeably decline, so yes.

I definitely feel better overall when I ride my bike regularly. My mood is better, I have more energy, and I sleep better. I got into it around the time I separated from my ex-wife, and I think it’s a significant part of what kept me from falling into a serious depression when I got divorced.

I hate running. I hate swimming. I hate lifting weights, or anything in a gym. Hiking is nice, with the right company. But I enjoy biking around my neighborhood and along the city greenways. I was wanting to be more active, healthier, etc. but couldn’t find anything I actually would stick with until I found an activity I actually enjoyed. Lately I’ve been feeling pretty down, getting uncomfortably close to a major depressive episode, but riding my bike for a while always makes me feel a bit better, at least while I’m doing it. I think not biking, due to it being winter, is indirectly part of why I’ve been down - I just haven’t been doing much that is enjoyable while dealing with a lot of stress including some major life changes.

Fwiw, I’m a psychiatric nurse. I’ve read the science news articles that say exercise is better than anything and the ones that say it doesn’t do much. I’ve also read some of the actual research/journal articles. The reality is that we’re not really certain how much difference it actually makes, but it probably depends on a variety of factors that vary from person to person and based on the type of exercise. We do know that people who are physically healthier also tend to feel better mentally. What I have seen personally, and experienced myself, is that exercise helps with mood, but it’s not a cure-all, and it’s not instant, and it makes a difference if it’s something you enjoy doing independently of it’s health benefits. Exercising outdoors, particularly in green spaces, probably also helps.

Nope. It made it worse if anything. It takes up so much of my time and exhausts me so much both physically and mentally, that I have to give up too much in order to accommodate it. Plus being ND, I can’t form habits, so it requires the same amount of energy and talking myself into doing it every time. And I don’t know when to stop, so I always overdo it, because I’m always “past my limits” so when someone says to “push just past your limits”, I push until I literally can’t move my muscles anymore. I have tons of willpower so there’s no boundary except complete physical collapse for me.

I wasn’t depressed to begin with but weightlifting helped me feel better about myself and quieting those voices that kept telling me that i was to lazy & fat. A year ago i started running which is much harder starting from zero but the mental effect of an extended run or the rewarding feeling of completing your first 10k is incredible.

Also dont wait for motivation, just start now and it will come later.

Very much so. Do it even if you have to force yourself. Do it outside in sunlight if you can, too. There have been lots of times I’ve dreaded working out beforehand. I don’t think I’ve ever once regretted it after I exercised.