There are many reasons why exercise helps elevate mood and lower anxiety. At a basic level, exercise distracts you from whatever may be making you depressed or anxious.

One of the most-cited perks of exercise is that it increases your body's feel-good chemicals, such as endorphins, serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. When your body gets flooded with these energising, uplifting chemicals, feelings of anxiety and stress can be significantly reduced, says Carla Marie Manly, PhD, a clinical psychologist who works with people with anxiety and depression.

Exercise also stimulates the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a molecule that plays a central role in maintaining healthy brain connections, according to a 2017 review in Frontiers in Psychology. Low levels of BDNF have been linked with depression and suicidal behaviour.

"An amazing aspect of regular exercise is its ability to push the brain to become a healthier, better version of itself", says Ben Spielberg, MS, founding neuroscientist and CEO of TMS & Brain Health centres based in Southern California.

Of course, you can't overlook how the social aspects of exercise can benefit your mental health. "Exercise can bring people closer together, make them feel more confident in social interactions and decrease anxiety in a variety of circumstances", Spielberg says.