Hard day at work
Bad day at work? Move.
🌅 Coach Sunny: "You don't have to feel like it. Shoes on, door open. That's the win."
How moving can help
An umbrella review of 97 reviews (1,039 trials, 128,119 adults) found physical activity had medium effects on depression, anxiety and psychological distress compared with usual care. Higher-intensity activity was linked to bigger improvements (Singh 2023). Among adults without a clinical diagnosis, activity reduced depression by a medium effect and anxiety by a small one (Rebar 2015).
Ten minutes of movement can be the line between your workday and the rest of your evening.
Your next 15 minutes
- Before you hit the couch or the fridge, change clothes.
- Brisk walk or easy jog for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Write down tomorrow's #1 task, then let work go.
From the original Exercise Is The Answer: "if you have the time to read this, get off your butt right now and do 10 pushups. Seriously, actually do it. Now."
Start the free 21-day habit builder →The research (verified against the published abstracts)
- Singh B et al. (2023). Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety and distress: an overview of systematic reviews. British Journal of Sports Medicine 57(18):1203–1209. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2022-106195
Umbrella review: 97 reviews, 1,039 trials, 128,119 adults. Physical activity had medium effects on depression (median ES −0.43), anxiety (−0.42) and psychological distress (−0.60) versus usual care. Higher intensity was linked to greater improvement; effectiveness diminished with longer interventions. Note: 77 of the 97 reviews were rated critically low quality (AMSTAR). - Rebar AL et al. (2015). A meta-meta-analysis of the effect of physical activity on depression and anxiety in non-clinical adult populations. Health Psychology Review 9(3):366–378. doi:10.1080/17437199.2015.1022901
In non-clinical adults, physical activity reduced depression by a medium effect (SMD −0.50; 92 studies, 4,310 participants) and anxiety by a small effect (306 study effects, 10,755 participants).
Not medical advice. This site shares general information and summaries of published research. It is not a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment. Exercise can help, and it works best alongside care from a qualified professional. Check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program, especially if you have a health condition.