In recent times, it has become almost an Olympic sport to share phrases like:
"Studies say running is as effective as antidepressants!"
Or worse:
"Exercise is the best therapy there is!"
It sounds beautiful. It motivates. It creates that feeling of control.
But... is it really true?
Let's break it down. No one is saying that exercise is bad for your mental health—quite the opposite. There's growing evidence that movement does help clear your head. But turning this benefit into a simplistic mantra like "do squats and cure your depression" is dangerous, to say the least.
Not all antidepressants are created equal. Not all depression is created equal. Not all exercise is created equal.
Mental health studies are a hell of a mess. Because we're talking about something extremely complex. There are mild, moderate, and severe depressions, with or without diagnosis, in completely different contexts. There are antidepressants that act through different pathways, with different effects. And there are workouts and workouts—a 15-minute walk in the sun is not the same as a HIIT class.
So when someone says, "A meta-analysis proved that exercise works as well as antidepressants," what they're often doing is simplifying a scientific soup with dozens of ingredients and serving it like a glass of water.
What do the studies actually show?
Measuring the isolated impact of exercise on depression is very difficult . Because you can't "blind" a group—no one believes they're not exercising when they are. And this leaves room for bias: people already think they'll get better because they're trying to get better. It's called the "expectancy effect." And yes, it does have an impact.
Furthermore, 90% of studies on exercise and depression are small, fragile, and of lower quality than studies on medication. This doesn't mean that exercise doesn't help. It just means that claiming it's equivalent to or superior to an antidepressant is already beyond reasonable doubt.
Does exercise help? It helps. But it's not a miracle cure.
Moving your body has positive effects: it improves sleep, regulates mood, gives a sense of progress, and even helps with self-esteem. It can be a great complement in mild to moderate cases of depression. And it can be a real lifesaver in times of stress.
But it can also be frustrating for those who don't feel "that magical relief" after running. And it's unfair—even cruel—to tell someone with severe depression that "just go to the gym and it will go away."
Conclusion: let's keep training. But with our feet firmly on the ground.
Prescribing physical activity is excellent. Encouraging healthy habits is essential. But that doesn't give us the right to spread half-truths or create simplistic narratives about topics as serious as mental health.
Let's exercise because it's good for us. Because it helps us breathe better, sleep better, and cope better with everyday life. But without giving in to the temptation to say that exercise "replaces" treatment. Because it doesn't. It's part of a larger strategy. And sometimes, the best workout anyone can do... is simply asking for help.