Exercise for Mental Health: What the Research Says About Lifting and Mood
Exercise is linked with fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety in a large body of research, and strength training holds up well. A 2024 BMJ analysis of 218 trials found walking or jogging, yoga and strength training among the most effective types for depression. You don't need a lot: regular sessions you actually keep doing seem to matter more than any perfect plan. Exercise can sit alongside treatment, not replace it.
Plenty of people come back to exercise for their head as much as their body. The American College of Sports Medicine's 2026 fitness trends put exercise for mental health at number 6, and note that 78% of exercisers in one survey named mental or emotional well-being as their top reason for working out.
What the research says about depression
The big picture. A 2024 network meta-analysis in the BMJ led by Michael Noetel pulled together 218 randomized trials with 14,170 people with depression. Walking or jogging, yoga, strength training and mixed aerobic exercise were among the most effective types. Strength training and yoga were also the best tolerated, meaning people were more likely to stick with them.
Strength training on its own. A 2018 meta-analysis in JAMA Psychiatry by Gordon and colleagues looked at 33 randomized trials with 1,877 people. Resistance training was linked with a moderate reduction in depressive symptoms. The benefit showed up whether people were healthy or living with an illness, and it didn't depend on how much training was prescribed.
What about anxiety?
The same research group published a 2017 meta-analysis in Sports Medicine covering 922 people. Resistance training was linked with a small to moderate reduction in anxiety symptoms, with a larger effect in healthy people than in people with an illness.
A broader 2023 overview in the British Journal of Sports Medicine by Singh and colleagues combined 97 systematic reviews covering over 1,000 trials. Physical activity was linked with medium-sized improvements in both depression and anxiety compared with usual care. For anxiety, yoga, stretching and other mind-body exercise showed the largest effects, so a mix of lifting and something calmer is a reasonable approach.
How much seems to help
Less than you might think. In the Singh overview, programs with 150 minutes a week or less were linked with bigger improvements in depression than longer ones, and shorter programs (12 weeks or less) showed the largest effects. In the JAMA Psychiatry analysis, the benefit of strength training didn't depend on total volume.
For most people, that points to:
- Two or three strength sessions a week of about 45 minutes. Here's how to choose how many days to lift.
- A walk on some of the other days. Walking or jogging was among the most effective types in the BMJ analysis, and walking is the easiest to repeat. More in walking for fitness.
- Something calm now and then, like yoga, if anxiety is part of the picture.
Why consistency matters more than intensity
To be honest about the research: both the BMJ analysis and the Singh overview found that harder exercise was linked with bigger effects. But you get nothing from a session you skip, and a plan that's too hard is the one people quit. Start at a level you can repeat every week, then let the effort build.
Strength training helps here because progress is visible: the weight in your log goes up, which is a small win on a bad day. If habits have been hard, the guide to building an exercise habit that sticks has practical ideas.
Exercise alongside treatment, not instead of it
Exercise is one useful tool, not a substitute for professional care. If you're struggling with your mood, anxiety or anything else, talk to your doctor or a mental health professional. Exercise can sit alongside therapy, medication or whatever else you and they decide on.
How to start if you're coming back
- Week 1: two short strength sessions and two walks. Keep the weights light. The goal is just to show up.
- Week 2: three strength sessions, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, plus a walk or two. Notice how you feel afterward, not just during.
- Weeks 3 and 4: keep the same days. Let the weights or reps go up a little each week. If a week falls apart, start again the next Monday at the same weights. Nothing is owed back.
A week of strength, walking and rest
Three strength days, a couple of walks, something calm, and real rest.
| Day | Session | How long |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Full Body A | 45 min |
| Tuesday | Walk, outside if you can | 20 to 30 min |
| Wednesday | Full Body B | 45 min |
| Thursday | Yoga, mobility or an easy walk | 15 to 30 min |
| Friday | Full Body C | 45 min |
| Saturday | Longer walk, with a friend if possible | 30 to 60 min |
| Sunday | Rest | None |
Full Body A, B and C each cover a squat, a hinge, a push, a pull and a carry or core move, in about 45 minutes.
Three sessions a week, set up for you
The hardest part is starting and keeping going, so take the planning off your plate. A missed week isn't owed back, and your weights hold where you left them. Full Body, 3 days is free in Liftspan: it's built for your equipment and around any joint you flag, every weight is set for you and moved up as you earn it, and each block ends with a lighter deload week. Rather use paper? Download the sheet.
Common questions
Does lifting weights help with depression?
Research links it with fewer depressive symptoms. A 2018 meta-analysis of 33 trials found resistance training was associated with a moderate reduction in depressive symptoms, and a 2024 BMJ analysis ranked strength training among the most effective exercise types for depression.
What type of exercise is best for mental health?
Walking or jogging, yoga and strength training all did well in the research. The best one is the one you'll keep doing.
How much exercise do I need for my mood?
Not a huge amount. In one large overview, programs of 150 minutes a week or less were linked with bigger improvements in depression than longer ones. Two or three strength sessions plus a couple of walks is a good target.
Can exercise replace therapy or medication?
No. Exercise can sit alongside treatment, but it isn't a replacement. If you're struggling, talk to a doctor or mental health professional, and tell them you're adding exercise.
Does exercise help with anxiety?
Research links it with lower anxiety symptoms. A 2017 meta-analysis found resistance training was associated with reduced anxiety, and a 2023 overview found the biggest effects for anxiety with yoga and other mind-body exercise.
Using Liftspan? See how logging a walk keeps your daily flame going in the help manual. New to it? Liftspan is a strength training app for lifters over 40 that builds your plan around your joints and moves the weight for you.
Sources: Noetel et al. 2024, Effect of exercise for depression: network meta-analysis (BMJ) · Gordon et al. 2018, Resistance exercise training and depressive symptoms (JAMA Psychiatry) · Gordon et al. 2017, The effects of resistance exercise training on anxiety (Sports Medicine) · Singh et al. 2023, Physical activity for depression, anxiety and distress (British Journal of Sports Medicine) · ACSM, Top fitness trends for 2026. General information, not a substitute for a clinician.
Keep reading: how to build an exercise habit that sticks · how many days a week to lift after 40 · longevity training · how to start working out again after a long break · all guides