Exercise & Depression: 101 Ideas to Get You Moving

Study after study has shown that exercising can help alleviate depression.  Human bodies were designed to move, and your brain and body reward you for moving.  In addition to keeping your system healthy and functioning properly, exercise affects your neurochemicals and hormones.  It can help release endorphins, which make you feel better and reduce pain perception.  Physical activity may also release dopamine and serotonin, two feel-good neurochemicals that are often in short supply when depressed.  The increase of these hormones can improve sleep and directly result in reduced feelings of depression.

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Physical benefits aside, exercise also provides other rewards that are specifically beneficial for people experiencing depression.  For example, being physically active can often lead to feelings of increased confidence and self-esteem as you begin to feel more capable and in control.  Exercise can also provide a distraction from your worries and concerns.  Depending on what activities you choose, exercise may also result in increased social activity which has its own slew of benefits.

While all these benefits are amazing and great, getting these benefits isn’t as easy as the world makes it out to be.  As someone who has struggled with depression, I can tell you firsthand, when I am depressed the last thing I want to do is exert myself.  Depression robs you of energy and motivation.  Two key requirements for being physically active or starting an exercise routine.  Heck, trying to exercise regularly when you’re not depressed can be an uphill struggle.  How are you supposed to do this when you are stuck in the bowels of depression?

Well, when it comes to exercise and depression, it turns out that frequency may be more important than intensity or duration.  What does this mean?  It means that what is truly important is getting moving regularly.  Starting out, you don’t need to be as concerned with how long you are being physically active or how hard you are doing the activity.  The key is to just do it, and do it as often as you can. 

I know that is still a very tall order when you are experiencing depression.  So, here are a few suggestions that might help you to get moving. 

Make It Easy

If you have to go out of your way to exercise, then you probably won’t when you are depressed.  Try instead to take it easy on yourself and start where you’re at with what you have. Heck, you don’t even have to get off the couch.

Couch Exercises
1. Stand up and sit down a few times
2.    Clench your but cheeks
3.    Bring your knees to your chest
4.    Lift your legs off the floor
5.    Cross your ankles and lift your legs off the floor
6.    Raise your arms above your head
7.    Twist from side to side at the waist

Bed/ Floor Exercises
8.      Try getting up off the floor
9.      Lie on your side, and lift one leg in the air
10.   Bend your knees & flap your legs like butterfly wings
11.   Do a bridge
12.   Attempt a sit-up or two
13.   Lift your arms, legs, and head just a few inches off the bed
14. Try doing a plank

Choose at Random

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Sometimes half the battle is deciding what to do.  When I’m depressed, my thinking is “as slow as molasses in January” to quote my Grandma.  Trying to put a coherent thought together seems impossible, let alone deciding on a workout plan to execute.  If this is you, let fate decide. 

15.      Print off these Exercise Cards, and select one at random
16.      Or try some Yoga Cards instead
17.       Roll a pair of dice, and select that many cards to do
18.      Include a timer, and do the exercise until the timer runs out
19.      Download a PDF Exercise Book and work your way through it
20.     Buy or make some exercise dice
21.      Write activities on slips of paper, and draw one at random

Be a Kid Again

I hate exercising, even when I’m not depressed.  I love acting like a kid, though.  One of the ways I trick myself into being active is playing the games I used to play (or missed out on playing) as a kid.  If you can find someone else to play with you, it will make it even easier to get moving.

By Yourself
22. Pretend the floor is lava!
23.     Go to the playground and play
24.     Keep a balloon afloat with your breath
25.     Build a fort
26.     Or an obstacle course
27.      Roll down a hill (repeatedly)
28.     Go sledding
29.     Use a slip and slide
30.    Hopscotch
31.   Slide on your slick floors in socks
32.   Do some jump roping

With a Friend(s)
33. Toss around a beachball
34.     Play charades
35.      Have a water gun or nerf gun fight
36.      Play parachute games with a bedsheet
37.       Have an animal walk race
38.      Jumping competition (how far? High? 1-leg?)
39.      Play musical chairs
40.     Try a three legged-race
41.      Or a potato sack race
42. Play Simon Says
43. Play Tag

Be a Teenager/Young Adult Again

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If acting like a kid isn’t your thing, what about acting just a little older?  Did you enjoy your adolescence or young adulthood?  Try going back to some of the activities from that time.

44. Make up a dance routine
45.     Or dust off your Dance, Dance Revolution skills
46.     Go skateboarding or rollerblading
47.      Wander around the mall
48.     Go mini-golfing
49.     Try a TikTok Challenge
50.     Go to a music festival or concert
51.      Visit an amusement park
52.     Or a water park
53.   Try a drinking game, but replace the drink with an exercise
54.  Go Bowling

Get a Hobby

If you prefer to remain firmly planted in adulthood, thank you very much, consider getting a hobby that could get you moving.  The world of hobbies is much bigger than stamp collecting! And there are so many that require to get moving.

55. Try gardening (indoor, outdoor, container, community)
56.     Go bird watching
57.      Or Herping (looking for reptiles/amphibians)
58.      If you enjoy scavenger/treasure hunts, try geocaching
59.      If you have the means, consider horseback riding
60.     Take up photography (you can use your phone camera)
61.      Start baking or cooking
62.     Consider Live Action Role Playing (LARP)
63.     Try mushroom hunting
64.   Try restoring furniture

Try a Sport

If you feel up to being just a little more active or are drawn to a the challenge, maybe try a sport. It’s ok if you don’t feel up to something as involved as a softball league or intense as dodgeball at the Y.  There are lots of more gentle sports that can still get you active.

65. Try golfing
66.     Or even just going to the driving range
67.      If you prefer discs to balls, try disc golf
68.     If you have the means, try archery
69.     Played any Ping Pong lately?
70.     Go fly a kite
71.      Play catch
72.     Or shoot some hoops
73.     Go swimming
74.     Try martial arts

Plug In

Smart phones, fit bits, smart watches, and other electronics have become a part of life for many of us.  There are so many apps available that can help get you moving.  Some are targeted directly at fitness, others get you moving as a byproduct.

85. Search your app store for “exercise” and see what pops up
86. If you have a Fit Bit or similar, try a step challenge
87.  Consider a game like Pokemon Go, Zombies Run, or The Walk
88. If you like giving, there are apps like Charity Miles, that turn your
miles into cash for a cause
89. If you enjoy competition, consider StepBet or a similar app that
allows you to compete against others
90. 3D game consoles and virtual reality game systems are becoming
more popular and can be a great way to get moving
91. If you’re not yet ready for 3D, there are movement games available
on the Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation.

Do Something Unique

For some of us, uniqueness is a big draw.  If you are always looking for the newest thing, or need a huge amount of interest to get that tiny bit of motivation, consider trying one of these more unique options for movement.  Keep in mind that many of these will cost money or require you to go somewhere.

75. Go to a pole dancing class
76.     Give aerial yoga a try
77.     Or see if you can find an aerial hoop class
78.     Try learning hoop dancing
79.     Consider slacklining (think tightrope, near the ground)
80.    Try taking an adult gymnastics class
81.     Go to a trampoline park
82.    Try rock climbing
83.    If you like animals, consider goat yoga or doga
84.   See if your local gym offers bungee workouts

Get Help

Consider involving someone else in your movement activity to give you the push you need. If you are a social person or a loving person, the thing that might motivate you to move is someone else.  Or if your depression has gotten too big for you to handle, consider seeking professional help.

92. Roughhouse or play wrestle with your lover
93. Play a game with your kids
94.   Or just push them on the swing
95.   Play tug with your dog
96.   Or take them for a walk
97.   Ask a friend to join you on a workout
98. Join in on an exercise competition
99.   Join a social gym, like Curves
100. Join a Fitness Peer Support Group
101.   Seek help from a therapist or coach