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Most of the information we hear about exercise is related to health, longevity and appearances. There is a lot of value in all of those things, but some people don't really care. Why eat like a rabbit and suck all the fun out of life? What's the point in living a safe, long life if you aren't really living?
We also hear a lot of people who start exercising and eating better say that they "feel good." That's awesome. What does "feel good" mean though? Do they feel stronger? Do they feel like they can move better?
My wife convinced me to go to the gym with her right after we got married. I'd done a little bit of resistance training during the summer after 8th grade, and I ran track a couple of years. Aside from that, I hadn't done any structured exercise, just playing sports and riding skateboards.
What I realized almost immediately was that "feeling good" goes far beyond just feeling stronger and more mobile. I felt like I was absolutely buzzing. Anxiety and stress would improve substantially. Things that would normally bum me out seemed to be less of an issue. Big things seemed smaller.
Feeling good goes way beyond health, longevity and appearances. Feeling good from exercise is feeling good both physically and mentally.
At this point in my life, given my mental health history, I've realized that I can't afford not to exercise. It's too powerful of a tool, and for that, I am grateful.
HOW EXERCISE EFFECTS MENTAL HEALTH
We know that exercise literally changes your physiological reactivity to stress. It decreases the amount of cortisol released in response to stress. It reduces anxiety and improves mood both immediately and in the 24 hours that follow. It increases energy and reduces tiredness.*
A recurring theme in exercise studies on mental health is 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise, 3 times per week. The most recent study I learned about from Dr. Layne Norton on HubermanLab showed that exercise was twice as effective as SSRI antidepressants when they are at their best. I'd actually heard that before as well. Here's what he says:
They took men with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder and they had them resistance train two times a week for 25 minutes a session. 50 minutes total, 8 weeks.
They used some stat numbers to explain the effect size. He put it into context:
.2 is considered small, .5 is considered moderate and .8 is considered large, anything above .8 SSRIs are typically in the .3 to .5 range, I think in, like, best case scenarios, they get up around a .7 - .8. The effect size for resistance training, two times a week, 25 minutes a day, for 8 weeks, was a 1.7.
*All of these benefits and the studies can be found in these CINDERS posts:
THE PROGRAM
So we know exercise is good for us, but what should we do? When should we do it? I took my personal experience, my training to become a certified personal trainer, and my independent research on mental health exercise science to put this together. This is a great starting point for anyone looking to get into exercising to improve their mental health.
Day 1: Moderate Intensity Cardio
Day 2: Upper Body Strength Training
Day 3: Moderate Intensity Cardio
Day 4: Lower Body Strength Training
Day 5: Moderate Intensity Cardio
Day 6: Walk
Day 7: Walk
Moderate Intensity Cardio (30+ minutes)
30 minutes of biking, running, jogging, walking on an incline treadmill, swimming, riding skateboards whatever you like.
We want "Zone 2" which essentially means you could be having a conversation. A good way to tell is if you can exclusively breathe through your nose.
Feel free to add more time over time
Upper Body Day (30-40 minutes)
Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 sets, 10-12 reps, 90s rest
Dumbbell Bent Over Rows | 3 sets, 10-12 reps, 90s rest
Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 3 sets, 10-12 reps, 90s rest
Pull Ups (sub Lat Pulldowns) | 3 sets, 10-12 reps, 90s rest
Plank | 1 set, :30+, slowly adding time over time
Side Plank | 1 set each side, :30+, slowly adding time over time
Lower Body Day (30-40 minutes)
Goblet Squats | 3 sets, 10-12 reps, 90s rest
Romanian Deadlifts | 3 sets, 10-12 reps, 90s rest
Reverse Lunges | 3 sets, 8-10 reps each leg, 90s rest
Flutter Kicks | 3 sets, :30+, slowly adding time over time
WHY
We're getting our 3x30+ minutes of moderate intensity activity on days 1, 3 and 5.
We're getting our 2x25+ minutes of resistance training on days 2 and 4.
We're actively recovering on days 6 and 7 to prepare for the following week.
Our rep range is between 50-70% of our 1 rep max (AKA you can do 10 or more but it's not stupid easy) which seems to have the largest effect on anxiety.
TIPS
Do your moderate intensity activity outside in the daylight.
If you are just starting out, don't worry about calories. Just eat nutrient dense, satiating foods that make you feel good and you enjoy eating.
As always, shoot for 7 hours of sleep at a minimum. Ideally 8.
Do it with friends or family if you can for social connection.
If you are still sore before a resistance training session, do 75% of the weight you would have done if you weren't sore.
If you are still sore before a moderate cardio day, either mix up the activity or walk instead.
Always add more walking. You can walk essentially as much as you want. I would highly recommend doing it daily for 30 minutes to get some sunlight exposure at the same time. Walking after meals is great, too.
Day 1 doesn't have to be Monday. And if your schedule is different, feel free to break up the week with a walking only day in the middle.
HOW TO AVOID OVER TRAINING
Now of course, I'm the type of dude to get obsessed. So, resistance training 5 days a week wasn't enough. I started to add running into the mix, and was still skating several days a week. Then I ran a half marathon. Before long, I ran a full marathon, a 50k and ultimately a 50 miler. During my 9 months preparing for the 50 miler, I was running usually between 30-50 miles per week and strength training almost daily, while skating twice a week.
Despite all this, I fell into a dark depression. So I added more. The depression got worse, and I added even more.
I ground myself down too much. I was releasing too much cortisol. I was awash in it 24/7. I knew I needed to make time for recovery, and I did try, but I was pedal to the medal too often.
The lesson I learned here, was that too much of anything has consequences. I built a lot of grit during this time, and that could potentially be worthwhile. But for me, I was a jerk to my wife, and I had to change.
The thing was, I love to workout. I love to do a lot. I enjoy it. But now, I've learned how to scale back the intensity to make sure I'm not overdoing it. I do a lot of volume, so I need lower intensity to offset and ensure I can recover.
So my advice is to do a lot. But we know that movement of all sorts improves mood and mental wellbeing, which means it doesn't have to be hard. If you are tired or sore, chill out. This will make sure you are recovering appropriately and getting the benefits you are looking for.
Do you have any questions on this article? Do you have any topics you'd like to see covered in the future? Email me at jack@leaveitcinders.com and let me know!
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