Exercise is one of the most powerful tools we have for mental health — but it’s not the whole picture. As someone who lives and breathes fitness and has a clinical depression diagnosis, I’ve seen both sides. On World Mental Health Day, I want to share a perspective that’s often missed in the “just work out” conversation — because sometimes, exercise isn’t enough, and that’s okay.
I firmly believe that exercise is medicine.
Exercise is single handedly the one thing in the world that I wish everyone found joy in.
I have a love for exercise that younger me would be shocked about.
That said, I do not like the notion that “exercise is therapy” or that “exercise can replace anti-depressants.”
While yes, research is clear — exercise is a powerful force — I believe that telling someone who is struggling with mental illness to “just get up and exercise” can be a harmful message.
Let me explain:
Mental health exists on a spectrum.
For those who have clinical diagnoses, medication can be a necessity.
There are people out there who are suffering every day.
People who struggle to even get out of bed.
Struggle to eat, shower, and care for themselves in the smallest of ways.
If we tell that person to “just get up and exercise,” it is not helpful advice.
In this case, it becomes a barrier.
Because if someone is struggling to feed themselves, how do you expect them to get up and expend more energy to try and feel better?
Exercise is powerful
Can exercise turn around a bad mental health day? Yes.
Can exercise give you the boost of endorphins to help you feel on top of the world? Yes.
Can exercise help you build discipline and mental fortitude? Yes.
Can exercise help you feel more confident and radiant? Yes.
But all of the good that exercise provides does not replace therapy or medical treatment when necessary.
As someone whose profession is in exercise, I know firsthand how powerful it can be.
As someone who eats, sleeps, and breathes fitness, I know what is at stake.
As someone who also has a diagnosis for clinical depression, I know how it feels to be so low that exercise is the last thing on your mind.
And I probably have been able to rely on discipline and go through the motions simply because this is my profession.
But imagine someone who doesn’t care that much.
The weight of the human experience — of depression, anxiety, and other mental health diagnoses — can be paralyzing.
Exercise is about celebration of what the body can do.
Exercise is liberating, freeing, empowering, and life-changing.
But it doesn’t take away from the fact that medication has a space in the healing journey of someone who is struggling with their mental health.
As a fitness professional, it is my greatest joy to see people find a love for exercise.
I get to help people on the path of discovery.
I help people figure out how fitness fits into the life they are building.
I help people grow in physical and mental capacities.
But exercise is a tool — not a cure.
And all I can hope is that you develop a love for exercise for yourself, because you get one life and one body to take care of.
In the best way possible, exercise can do so many things for you if you let it.