Most people start exercising because they want to get stronger, lose weight, improve their health, or simply feel better physically. For me personally, and apparently for a lot of other people, the most important benefits of exercise may have nothing to do with what you see in the mirror.
A major 2026 review published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that exercise was associated with meaningful reductions in symptoms of both depression and anxiety.
The research included 63 reviews, 81 meta-analyses, 1,079 studies, and 79,551 participants.
The takeaway is simple:
Exercise isn't just training for your body. It can also be an investment in your mental health.
Does Exercise Actually Improve Mental Health?
According to this research, yes.
Researchers led by Neil Munro conducted an umbrella review with a meta-meta-analysis, essentially a study of existing meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials.
Exercise produced a moderate reduction in depressive symptoms and a small-to-moderate reduction in anxiety symptoms.
Across a large body of randomized research, people who exercised generally experienced better mental health outcomes than comparison groups.
More interestingly, the benefits weren't limited to one type of exercise.
What Types of Exercise Help?
The researchers looked at four broad categories:
Aerobic exercise: walking, running, cycling
Resistance training: strength training
Mind-body exercise: yoga, tai chi, qigong
Mixed exercise: programs combining multiple forms of training
All four were associated with improvements in depressive symptoms.
Aerobic exercise showed the largest average effect, but resistance training also produced meaningful benefits.
You don't have to become a runner to potentially benefit from exercise. Strength training counts too.
The same general pattern appeared with anxiety. Aerobic, resistance, mind-body, and mixed exercise were all associated with improvements.
Interestingly, shorter-duration and lower-intensity programs appeared particularly effective for anxiety.
That's a useful reminder that a workout doesn't need to leave you exhausted to be worthwhile.
A walk can be useful.
A moderate strength workout can be useful.
A short training session can be useful.
More isn't automatically better.
Is There a “Best” Exercise for Mental Health?
Probably not.
Aerobic exercise produced the largest average reductions in depression and anxiety in this review, but averages don't tell us what an individual person will enjoy, tolerate, or continue doing.
If you hate running but enjoy lifting weights, forcing yourself to run five days per week probably isn't a great long-term strategy.
If you enjoy walking outside, walk.
If you enjoy lifting, lift.
If you prefer cycling, yoga, hiking, sports, or group classes, those are all legitimate ways to move.
The most scientifically impressive program in the world doesn't accomplish much if you quit after two weeks.
A good training program has to be effective enough to work and sustainable enough to repeat.
Structure May Matter More Than We Think
One of the findings I found most interesting involved supervised and group exercise.
For depression, supervised exercise was associated with greater improvements than unsupervised exercise. Group exercise also showed a larger effect than exercise performed individually.
The study can't tell us exactly why, but there are several plausible explanations.
Training with others creates social interaction. A scheduled workout creates structure. A coach or trainer can provide accountability. Following a program creates measurable progress. Learning new skills and getting stronger can build confidence. Simply showing up somewhere at the same time each week can create routine during periods when motivation may otherwise be low. Those factors may matter in addition to the physiological effects of exercise itself.
I've seen the same challenge repeatedly as a trainer: most people don't struggle because they don't know that exercise is good for them.
They struggle to do it consistently.
Sometimes the value of a training program isn't another exercise or a more complicated workout.
It's having a reason to show up.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
This study doesn't prove that exercise cures depression or anxiety.
It doesn't prove that supervised exercise works better because of coaching or accountability, and it doesn't mean a personal trainer should attempt to diagnose or treat a mental health condition.
The review also combined a large amount of existing research, which means the individual studies varied in quality, population, exercise prescription, and methodology.
Exercise appears to be a meaningful tool for supporting mental health, but it is one tool, not a universal replacement for appropriate mental health care.
So What Should You Do?
Don't make exercise more complicated than it needs to be. Choose activities you can realistically continue doing.
Strength train.
Do some aerobic activity.
Start with an amount you can maintain and build from there.
If consistency is difficult, add structure, schedule your workouts, train with a friend, join a group, follow a program, or work with a coach.
You don't need a perfect routine.
You need one you can keep coming back to.
The Bigger Picture
We tend to judge exercise by what we can measure.
How much weight did you lose?
How much did your squat improve?
How fast did you run?
How much muscle did you gain?
Those things matter, but they're only part of the story.
Exercise can make us stronger. Improve cardiovascular health. Help us stay capable as we age. Give structure to our weeks. Create social connection. And, according to a growing body of research, it may also meaningfully support our mental health.
That is one more reason to stop thinking of exercise as something we do only to change how our bodies look.
Training should help you build a body and a life that continues working well for you.
If you're looking for help building a structured training program around your goals, schedule, experience, and current fitness level, feel free to reach out to learn more about personal training.
Research Highlighted
Munro NR, Teague S, Somoray K, Simpson A, Budden T, Jackson B, Rebar A, Dimmock J. Effect of exercise on depression and anxiety symptoms: systematic umbrella review with meta-meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2026;60(8):590–599. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2025-110301.