Exercise is the best medicine for the mind but what works best for anxiety, according to science?

From ‘runner’s high’ to ‘cognitive squats’... as blue Monday looms, Maria Lally looks at the wonder workouts that are best for brain health – and why they are so good for lifting our mood

No gym or equipment is required to boost your mood with exercise (iStock)

You’re a week in, so how is that January reset going? The intentions were good, but now blue Monday is officially looming (15 January) and the chances are that your motivation is waning. Work changes and relationship resolutions could be passing you by as real life gets in the way, which may be causing anxiety too. But the good news is that exercise is as much about improving mental health as it is about countering the effects of all the sofa-sitting, which is one more reason to refocus on the things that could really make a difference.

“My students laugh when I say this, but jogging is for your noggin,” says Damian Bailey, a professor of physiology and biochemistry and director of the Neurovascular Research Laboratory at the University of South Wales. “I used to run for Great Britain, several kilos ago, but I’m 54 now and I still train twice a day, every day, with Sundays off. And I can honestly say that exercise is by far and away the best medicine, especially when it comes to our minds.”

Traditionally, exercise studies have focused on the benefits to our hearts, lungs, and metabolism, says Professor Bailey. “The effects on our brain and mood have always been the poor sister in these studies, but we’re now starting to scratch the surface and finding out just how good exercise is for the brain in terms of things like dementia, but also depression, anxiety and emotional distress. And the older you get, the more bang for your buck you get in terms of exercise’s effects on the brain. We know that, in terms of exercise, we can turn our brain’s biological clock back by up to two decades, making them younger, healthier, increasing intelligence, and lifting our mood.”

Here are the best ones to try...

Women were likely to feel the most benefit from lifting, researchers found (Getty)

Weight training

The benefits of resistance training – which involves lifting hand weights, as well as exercises that use your own body weight like press ups and planks – include increased metabolism and fat loss, as well as reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes, and type 2 diabetes.

But studies show it can also help with mental health. A 2021 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that strength training can decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression. Meanwhile, a 2015 study from the University of Limerick studied women with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), a condition involving chronic nervousness and worry, and found that all types of exercise helped their sleep quality, which reduced their anxiety. However, the results were particularly strong among those who did weight training.

Workouts in nature can work wonders for low mood (Getty/iStock)

Exercising in nature

It’s little wonder our mood dips more in winter when we spend too much time tucked up at home. In recent years, research has found that being in nature lifts our mood. A 2021 study from the University of York found that taking part in activities such as gardening and outdoor exercise led to improved mood and less anxiety. “We’ve known for some time that being in nature is good for health and wellbeing, but our study reinforces the growing evidence that doing things in nature is associated with large gains in mental health,” says Dr Peter Coventry, lead author of the study, which also found that engaging in conversation also made people feel less anxious.

“One of the best things about outdoor exercise is that it can be incredibly social,” says personal trainer Matt Roberts, who has trained David and Samantha Cameron. “Sunday morning bike rides with friends, team sports played outside, or group exercise classes in the park offer cardiovascular fitness, as you would imagine, but the social side of being with friends in nature has also been found to reduce anxiety.” Roberts says the benefits of nature also include a hit of vitamin D: “If you go for a walk or a run outside, you’ll start to build up your levels of vitamin D, which research shows have an anti-anxiety effect. The effects are stronger in summer of course, but you’ll still get the benefit on a bright winter day. Being in nature also releases serotonin, which is the feel-good hormone that lifts your mood.”

Yoga and pilates

Known for their toning, strength and flexibility benefits, it seems yoga and pilates can help calm your mind too.

In an August 2020 study, researchers at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine found that yoga improved symptoms of GAD better than many stress management treatments (although not as good as CBT, cognitive behavioural therapy). A 2011 study by the World Journal of Sports Sciences found that women who did 30 minutes of yoga three times a week for 12 weeks had increased serotonin levels, along with lower levels of anxiety, depression and reduced blood pressure.

“In studies, we’ve found that symptoms of depression, anxiety and emotional distress all respond very well to physical exercise, but in terms of managing the symptoms of anxiety in particular, yoga and mind-body exercises appear to be most beneficial,” says Professor Bailey. “Especially for reducing mild anxiety.”

Runners take part in the Christmas Eve park run at Whitley Bay (Owen Humphreys/PA)

Running

“Doing a long, low to medium intensity form of cardio has been found to release serotonin and reduce anxiety and depression,” says Matt Roberts, who explains that this is the science behind the “runner’s high”.

“We know it takes a while to get to that point – around 30 minutes – and it can be anything from a bike ride to a jog at a fairly low intensity.”

A 2020 meta-study (a study that looks at several other studies) found that regular running was associated with improved mental health. While a 2018 study from King’s College found those who were most active were 15 per cent less likely to develop depression, with those who carried out around 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a week had a 30 per cent reduced chance of depression.

Slow, controlled squatting

The good old squat has long been known to tone the muscles in your buttocks and thighs, but could its benefits go beyond that? Yes, according to research from Professor Bailey’s team at the University of South Wales, who found that squat exercises can boost your brain and lift your mood.

Their study, published in the journal Nature Communications, measured blood flow to the brain in people performing squats and found a spike when they had completed three minutes of slow, controlled squats. “Squats are particularly good for people who are really out of shape, overweight, or arthritic,” says Professor Bailey.

The professor says that squatting can enhance blood flow to the hippocampus, which is the part of our brains responsible for memory, mood and learning, and regular squatting can promote the growth of new brain cells. “What we found is that, rather than pounding the streets for an hour, squatting for a few minutes gives the brain a lot of benefits.” Aim for three minutes of squatting, three times a week, he says.

“The real key, however, is to do the exercise you love,” says Professor Bailey. “Experts like me can split hairs, and we will continue to split hairs until we work out the best exercise type and duration for our mood, but in reality, any physical exercise will make us healthier and happier. So, just get moving.”