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Mid-week dip in mood? Get your shoes on and get moving. Exercise helps mood and depression.


It’s what we regular exercisers know based on our experience: exercise boosts mood and missing exercise makes things worse mood-wise.

As a Clinical Psychologist who works in the NHS in London, it is great to see that the NHS and DoH is now including exercise as an important component of treatment programmes for people struggling with anxiety or depression. Last month I was at the launch of the new NHS IAPT initiative called Brain Train, which aims to inform NHS staff about the benefits so they can give guidance to their clients. The evidence behind exercise boosting mood and psychological wellbeing is compelling. And, as we know, not everyone wants to have a sit-down therapeutic consultation with someone like me, so I really welcome this NHS initiative.

So when the week at work is starting to drag you down, don’t give in to the temptation to take it easy and go home and hit the sofa. Instead, make sure you get some physical stimulation: walk, jog, run, swim, cycle, hit the gym – anything really, to get the physical and psychological boost from exercise.

Dr Victor Thompson, London-based Clinical Sports Psychologist
www.sportspsychologist.com
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