Exercise is a tremendous form of therapy. Thanks to the global pandemic, anx🤡iety and depression have never been more pervasive: over the last year, we've been extremely isolated in our own homes, with gyms, offices, and our fa👍vourite spots to socialize such as coffee shops and pubs, temporarily closed. Now things are opening up again, don't panic if you're still experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression, as these habits are hard to break. 

While lacing up your running shoes and going for a run won't fix the underlying issues, it's helpful to remember a popular quote attributed to actor , which says "I believe depression is legitimate. But I al☂so believe that if you don't exercise, eat nutritious food, get sunlight, get enough sleep, consume positive material, surround yourself with support, then you aren't giving yourself a fighting chance."  

, people with low aerobic and muscular fitness are nearly twice as likely to experience depression as those with high levels of fitness. 

Senior author Dr Joseph Hayes said: "Our findings suggest that encouraging people to exercise more could have extensive public health benefits, ♑improving not only our physical health but our mental health too. "Improving fitness through a combination of cardio exercise anꦬd strength and resistance training appears to be more beneficial than just focusing on aerobic or muscular fitness."

This m💃ight be due to the aforementioned chemical reaction during exercise. Physical exertion promotes the release of dopamine and serotonin, the body's "hapℱpy hormones", which can improve mood. The act of moving our body, especially for those of us leading an otherwise sedentary lifestyle, can be as effective as meditation: exercise  to be comparable to meditation when it comes to improving well-being.

Bonus points if you can get outside, as you're also exposed to the mood-boosting power of sunlight and vitamin D. If you can get to nature, even better, as ♐studies have shown production of the stress hormone cortisol slackens after just 10 minutes in a green space.

To get outside and do some exercise, cycling, running, or even walking is a great idea. Cycling and walking to lose weight are low-impact, low-intensity exercises perfect for people looking to get into fitness for the first time, or coming back to it after a long absence. Walking especially is very easy to incorporate into your day: you just need the  ಞto get started. If you're runni𝔉ng, you can conquer everything from parks to endurance races with the .

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