{"id":3291,"date":"2026-06-26T12:15:30","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T12:15:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/OU-Sport\/?p=3291"},"modified":"2026-06-26T12:15:30","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T12:15:30","slug":"exercise-and-mental-health-understanding-why-movement-works-and-when-it-doesnt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/OU-Sport\/?p=3291","title":{"rendered":"Exercise and mental health: understanding why movement works (and when it doesn\u2019t)"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Caroline Heaney<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Image by Christo Anestev from Pixabay<\/p><\/div>\n

Why mental health challenges are rising \u2013 and why it matters<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Modern day life places challenges on our mental health whether it be pressures from social media, balancing work\/study\/home life, financial pressures, or processing the state of the world currently.<\/p>\n

An NHS Survey (2025)<\/a> found that the prevalence of mental health conditions is at an all-time high in the UK. For example, 20.2% of adults in England were reported to be living with a common mental health condition, such as depression or anxiety in 2023\/4, compared to 15.5% in 1993 and 18.9% in 2014. Young people appear to be at significant risk with the survey indicating that the prevalence has risen from 17.5% in 2007 to 25.8% in 2023\/4 amongst those aged 16\u201324 years.<\/p>\n

This means more people are actively looking for ways to support their mental health, including through movement and exercise.<\/p>\n

Can exercise improve mental health? (Short answer: yes)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This rise in mental health problems places a significant strain on mental health support services.<\/p>\n

The cost of mental ill health in the UK is estimated at \u00a3300 billion per year, and long waiting lists for support services can mean people don\u2019t always get help quickly, often leading to further deterioration (The Big Mental Health Report 2025<\/a>).<\/p>\n

There are various treatment options available including talking therapies and medication, but medication is reported to be the most common treatment for mental health problems<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Exercise has been suggested as an alternative or additional treatment for those with mental health problems, but does it actually work?<\/p>\n

The short answer is yes.<\/p>\n

Exercise for mental health: what the evidence says<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Exercise can be used both in the prevention and treatment of mental health problems. Regular physical activity can play a key role in both preventing and managing conditions such as anxiety and depression.<\/p>\n

In their review of existing research Rahmati et al. (2024)<\/a> found that people who were physically active had a significantly lower risk of developing depression and anxiety. Similarly, exercise can help people who already have mental health conditions to manage or reduce their symptoms. In their review of existing research Noetel et al. (2024)<\/a> concluded that exercise was an effective treatment for depression.<\/p>\n

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Photo by Sweet Life on Unsplash<\/p><\/div>\n

Depending on the severity of symptoms, exercise can be used on its own or alongside other treatments as part of a broader plan, under the guidance of a mental health professional.<\/p>\n

Despite its benefits, exercise is still a relatively underused form of treatment<\/a> for mental health conditions, although there are several GP referral and social prescribing programmes in existence that successfully support people through exercise.<\/p>\n

Given the benefits to mental health, some people have questioned whether failing to prescribe exercise is unethical<\/a>. Prescribing exercise seems like a sensible idea especially considering that it has multiple other health benefits (e.g., reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, etc).<\/p>\n

Why does exercise improve mental health?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There are several potential explanations for the link between exercise and mental health<\/strong>, including:<\/p>\n