It has. Easier to go to sleep after exercising and so. But the most major benefit is that I got out of the house and did something. Felt great!

Hiking helped me a lot. I was out in the wilderness, touching grass, actually doing something for my health. Exploring the Alps was one of the best ideas I have ever had.

I have family members who suffer from several mental health issues - depression, anxiety and related. They have all found exercise helpful. Doesn’t really matter what kind- yoga, cross fit, swimming, running - just establish a routine, do it a few times a week. It made a big difference for them (or going for a walk - what ever works for your fitness/health level)

Yes.

Also, don’t take anyone else’s recommendation; any kind of movement is exercise, so figure out what you want to do. Any activity counts as exercise, so bike or swim or swing a broadsword or a katana or a baseball bat. Even singing counts as exercise and joining a chorus is a great way to get out and meet people.

Yes, without a doubt.

A few months ago, a new gym set up near where I live - like, five minutes walking distance away.

We took a tour of it, and saw that it’s a really nice facility. The ventilation and spacing of equipment is good (for avoiding disease), the variety of equipment is good, and it just seems like the ideal gym.

So my family and I thought, “Why not? Let’s get a family membership.” Now I head down there most mornings, spend an hour or so exercising, and then walk back, sometimes with coffee from a nice nearby cafe in hand.

I hadn’t noticed the slow decline in how I felt about my body and my life. I’ve always been a pretty fit guy, but the pandemic made me more sedentary than usual, and it was slowly affecting my self-esteem and mental health.

And I didn’t realize that until the effects of working out regularly showed up and I started looking and feeling better again. It was a “boiled frog” situation.

That gym moving nearby might have saved my life long-term, because I don’t know how I would have gotten the impetus to go to a more distant one otherwise.

It’s just been a few months, but I’ve already put on visible muscle and lowered noticeable belly fat substantially. And more importantly, I feel stronger than I have for several years. Like, lifting things is easier, carrying furniture is easier, just… moving is easier. I probably weigh more, because muscle is denser than fat, but I feel lighter.

It’s a good feeling. It’s clearing away a brain fog I didn’t know I had. My software work is improving, I’m writing again, and I’m re-engaging with hobbies and interests that had fallen by the wayside.

If you can’t or don’t want to get a gym membership, learn some body weight exercises, find a park you can jog at… Do something physical every day. Your brain and body are one system, and keeping all of it tuned and maintained is important for mental health.

Running helped a lot. Maybe not at the beginning but later on. It makes me feel happy

Definitely. It’s not like it’s all pink clouds and roses but it absolutely helped.

it helped for the first weeks, then I was back to baseline (suicidal)

Absolutely. No question about it.

If fact I find that exercise is the only thing that brings instant relief. There’s not a single time I’ve went to the gym feeling shitty and came out not feeling better. I believe it’s scientifically proven that exercise is as good or better treatment for depression than anti-depressants.

Yes. Exercising fixed my depression when nothing else could.

Yes. Every single time. Even if it is just walking around the block at a swift pace a few times a week (light to medium exercise). Usually the depression reduces after the 3rd or 4th time, sometimes sooner: fewer negative thoughts, less anhedonia, more motivation, less negative attitude, etc. If I keep at it, usually I actually can find myself in a good mood. Why the hell do I stop exercising then? I’ll have to get back to you on that.

Heavy lifting specifically works wonders for me.

I used exercise to cope with overwhelming gender dysphoria before I was able to transition.

It was incredibly helpful, and I got super fit, but it’s also easy to overdo it, and balancing that can be a challenge when you’re using it as a coping mechanism

Yes. Just being in better shape helped my confidence a lot. I went sort of all-in on getting into shape and worked out fairly religiously for a while. It SUCKED at first but once it became routine it got a lot easier. I did all sorts of exercise, weights, cardio, etc…. One side benefit is that I didn’t get sick (a cold or anything!) the entire time I was working out like crazy. My life circumstances changed a couple years ago making that much time a practical impossibility, but even a few years on, I’m still down a bunch of weight which helps!

An exercise routine has helped me a lot, exercising sporadically, not so much. I don’t really feel a sudden sense of relief from a single session, but I’ve noticed that when I’m working out regularly, I feel better overall. It’s not a sudden change, and not a “cure all”, but it helps me focus better during the day, sleep better at night, crave less junk food/alcohol, and just feel less sense of “everything sucks”. The routine also really helps me stick to other daily habits that I’m embarrassed to admit I struggle with, such as brushing my teeth.

I’m currently working to get back on my full routine, but in the past, I did weightlifting Mon-Fri, with intense cardio (running, stairs, etc.) MWF and chill cardio (walking) TTh. When I was really, really into it, that naturally led to being quite active on weekends too, such as 5k’s, long ass walks around town, and hiking.

My advice to anyone trying to start a routine is to start small and gradually build it up. So step 1 for getting back to my full routine right now is a short daily walk. Once the short walks become a natural part of my daily rhythm, I might make the walks a little longer, add in a little running, and/or add in some light strength training moves, all depending on my overall goals and what feels within reach.