The Type of Exercise That Helps Your Brain is Easier Than You Think
You’ve probably heard that exercise is good for you. But here’s what most people don’t realize: Exercise literally heals your brain.
When you get moving, substances involved in brain repair — like a protein called BDNF — rise in your bloodstream. A few weeks in, the mood benefits are comparable to those of antidepressants. The memory benefits surpass what medication can offer. Whether you’re dealing with depression, memory problems, ADHD, or poor sleep, exercise is one of the most powerful tools available to you.
The best part? The amount of exercise you need to see these benefits is far less intimidating than you might expect.
How Much Do You Actually Need?
Here’s the target:
30–45 minutes of brisk walking, every other day.
The walk should be brisk enough to raise your heart rate and get you breathing faster. Any activity that produces that effect — called “aerobic” exercise — counts. Swimming, bicycling, basketball, and dancing all work. And if a 30-minute block feels like too much, you can break it into three 10–15 minute chunks spread throughout the day and get the same results.
Tip: Breaking it into chunks may be better for weight loss, because it raises your metabolism throughout the day.
More Isn’t Always Better
If you’re thinking about pushing harder — longer runs, heavier workouts, more intense routines — here’s something worth knowing: when it comes to brain function, only 1 in 12 people get greater benefits from a more intense routine. For most people, brisk walking every other day is the sweet spot.
The Science Behind It
More than 100 clinical studies back the brain benefits of exercise. The research consistently shows that exercise works as well as an antidepressant for depression — and when you use both together, exercise can double your rate of response to medication.
But where exercise really shines is in prevention — keeping depression from coming back.
A landmark study at Duke University randomized people with depression into two groups. Half took an exercise class, and half took the antidepressant sertraline (Zoloft). In the short-term, they both brought equal benefits. But six months later, the gap became clear: 38% of people on antidepressants had relapsed into depression, compared to only 8% of those who had recovered through exercise.
There’s another side to this story. If you take an antidepressant, adding psychotherapy or exercise to it after you recover will help you stay well longer.
When Should You Exercise?
Timing matters. If you want to sleep better, the ideal time is late afternoon, but exercising anytime will improve sleep, even in the evening.
If you have bipolar disorder, aim to exercise at the same time every day. A consistent daily routine helps stabilize mood — and that predictability is especially important for managing bipolar symptoms.
The Other Benefits
Exercise doesn’t stop at mental health. Scientific American ranked walking first among lifestyle factors that enhance longevity.
Here’s a look at what regular walking does for your body and mind:
- Strengthens bones
- Slows aging and adds 3–7 years to your lifespan
- Lowers stroke risk
- Improves heart and lung health
- Relieves arthritis and joint inflammation
- Builds muscle
- Supports weight loss
- Deepens sleep quality
- Reduces pain by raising endorphin levels
- Improves memory and prevents dementia
- Lowers cancer risk
- Lowers blood pressure, cholesterol, and lipids
- Prevents diabetes
Beyond depression, brisk walking also helps with anxiety, PTSD, schizophrenia, autism, and possibly panic disorder and OCD. But it’s not a cure for everything. Exercise does not treat addictions, though it does ease withdrawal symptoms from drugs and nicotine. It does not improve anorexia or bulimia, where people can actually become addicted to exercising compulsively, but strength training may help in those conditions.
The physical and mental benefits reinforce each other — move more, feel better, think more clearly.
Make It Playful
“I have to exercise in the morning before my brain figures out what I’m doing.” — Marsha Doble
If that quote made you laugh because it sounds exactly like you, you’re not alone. The trick is to weave movement into your everyday life before your brain has a chance to talk you out of it. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Go swimming
- Hike in nature
- Listen to audiobooks or music while you walk
- Dance — anywhere, anytime
- Join a kickball or softball league
- Turn business meetings into walking meetings
- Shoot hoops
- Roughhouse with your kids
- Roughhouse with your dog
- Go roller skating or ice skating
- Wash the car
- Try belly dancing
- Sign up for an adult gymnastics class
- Use a standing desk
- Park far away and walk the rest
- Play tag with kids
- Go rowing
- Run your errands on foot
- Choose an active volunteer job, like building homes with Habitat for Humanity
- Explore a new neighborhood or trail
- Jump rope or hula hoop
- Walk the dog — yours, a neighbor’s, or a shelter dog waiting for some company
- Join a martial arts class
- Turn cleaning into a workout — scrub, vacuum, sweep, mop, and rake with purpose
- Bike to work
Can’t Leave Home?
- Try the Happy Walk or Walk at Home videos
- Play an active video game (Wii Tennis, Wii Boxing, Wii Fit, Just Dance, Island Run, Nintendo Switch Sports)
- Do jumping jacks
- Place a treadmill or exercise bike in front of the TV, or strap a tablet to it
Don’t like Aerobics?
Yoga, tai chi, qi gong, and resistance training also work.
More Gain, Less Pain
Exercise has side effects. Fatigue, muscle aches, falls, and injuries. Here’s how to minimize that
- Check with your primary care provider or doctor if you have these conditions
- Start slow, building up to the full routine over a few weeks
- Use the strategies below
Warm-up
- As the name suggests, your warm-up should gradually warm your muscles and body temperature.
- The warm-up should involve the muscle groups you use during exercise.
- Your warm-up could begin with a low intensity activity such as brisk walking or jogging for 5–10 minutes.
- Stretch after your muscles have been warmed, before starting your exercise routine. Stretching cold muscles is less effective. After exercise, stretch again to aid recovery.
- Drink plenty of water during exercise.
Cool down
- A cool down at the end of exercise reduces muscle soreness and stiffness.
- In the last 5 minutes of exercise, slow down gradually to a light jog or brisk walk.
- Finish with 5–10 minutes of stretching, emphasizing the muscle groups you used during exercise).
When to stop
Stop exercising if you experience any of the following:
- Pain or discomfort
- Chest pain or other pain that could indicate a heart attack, including pain in the neck and jaw, pain travelling down the arm or pain between the shoulder blades
- Extreme breathlessness
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat during exercise
- Joint pain that persists after more than three days of rest
—Chris Aiken, MD
Director, Psych Partners
Editor in Chief, Carlat Psychiatry Report
What’s Your Take? Share in Comments
- Have you seen mental health change with exercise?
- What made it easier to do?
