The Mind on Movement

Modern life keeps us sitting and stagnant more than ever before, yet physical activity is one of the most powerful tools for supporting mental health, mood, and well-being. Research consistently shows that regular exercise improves stress resilience, cognitive function, emotional regulation, and overall physical health (Schuch et al., 2016).

Despite knowing this, many people struggle to make exercise a consistent habit. Motivation fluctuates, fatigue sets in, demands get in the way, and unrealistic expectations create avoidance. While exercise is good for everyone, the truth is that movement is not one-size-fits-all. Different body types, ages, and sex may feel best and their “fittest” with different types of movement. Exercise’s benefits are maximized when tailored to your body, your stress profile, and your goals.

Why Exercise Matters for Mental Health

Exercise is more than calorie burning or muscle building—it’s a tonic for the brain and body. Quite literally, it tones them. Some health practices are passive and restorative like sleep, some are mixed–blending concentration and relaxation like meditation, and others are active like exercise. It’s one of those behaviors we can see progress and improvement in relatively quickly. Over a week, you can jog a little easier, lift a little more, and are flexible in ways you weren’t. The body has literally become stronger…a little healthier. The brain and body are inseparable so how could this not have a beneficial effect on mental health? Here’s what science tells us:

• Neurotransmitter support: Physical activity increases serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine availability, improving mood, focus, and reward sensitivity (Dishman et al., 2006).

• Neuroplasticity: Exercise elevates BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), promoting synaptic growth, hippocampal health, learning, memory, and cognitive flexibility (Cotman et al., 2007).

• Stress regulation: Regular movement modulates the HPA axis, normalizing cortisol rhythms and enhancing resilience to daily stressors.

• Anti-inflammatory effects: Physical activity reduces pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-alpha) and supports immune balance, which is tightly linked to mood regulation. Inflammation blocks neurogenesis, neuroplasticity, and impacts serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine availability. Reducing inflammation through exercise can restore those effects.

• Metabolic support: Exercise improves cardiovascular function, blood, oxygen, nutrient transport, increases insulin sensitivity, increases metabolism and ATP production, and supports overall physical health—all of which feed back positively into mental health.

The HPA Axis, Stress, and Movement

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis governs the body’s response to stress. When chronic stress is present, cortisol rhythms can become flattened, exaggerated, or poorly timed, leaving you fatigued, anxious, or emotionally ungrounded.

Exercise interacts with this system in nuanced ways:

• Adaptive stress response: Moderate, consistent exercise acts as a controlled stressor, improving HPA axis flexibility and supporting DHEA balance. Resistance training can increase testosterone and dopamine.

• Under-recovery or overtraining: High-intensity or high-volume training when stressed can exacerbate cortisol imbalance, increase fatigue, and elevate inflammation and immune hyperactivity. This is not a worry for the average person. Primarily competitive athletes or those training for intense competitions. Nevertheless, listen to your body and allow yourself to rest.

• Personalization matters: The right type, timing, and intensity of movement should ideally align with your current HPA axis status to optimize mental and physical benefits. Strength training, cardio, flexibility and balance are all essential. The ratio and quantity should be individually determined based on preferences to begin. In other words, its important to do what you like and what you receive beneficial feedback from your body to start. Doing so allows you to increase your zone of proximal development, or fitness, gradually. Strengthening the body will help balance HPA axis function. From there, intensity can be increased resulting in a virtuous cycle of continuous improvement and better metabolic and mental health.

Types of Movement and Their Mental Health Effects

• Aerobic exercise (walking, cycling, swimming): Improves mood, reduces anxiety, supports hippocampal neurogenesis, oxygen and nutrient transport and utilization, energy.

• Resistance training: Enhances motivation, self-efficacy, and executive function.

• Mind-body movement (yoga, tai chi, qigong): Reduces stress, improves autonomic balance, and promotes emotional regulation.

• High-intensity interval training (HIIT): Can boost BDNF and cognitive performance, but may need to be carefully timed for stressed or fatigued individuals.

Common Barriers and How to Overcome Them

• Fatigue or low motivation: Start with small, enjoyable movements and gradually increase intensity.

• Time constraints: Short, frequent bouts of activity can be just as effective as longer sessions. HIIT can be great here. Alternatively, moving continuously with a moderate degree of intensity in any form for 30 minutes is fine.

• Stress overload: Mindful movement or low-intensity exercise may be more beneficial during high-stress periods. The opposite may also be true and depicts the importance of testing and seeing what works best for you. Exercising moderately hard generally results in increased energy and stress resilience but if you are already running on empty, recognize that and embrace more gentle movements to begin.

• Previous injuries or limitations: Functional strength, mobility, and joint-safe exercises ensure sustainability. Don’t push past actual pain in bones, tendons, ligaments etc. A little burn is one thing, the knotted feeling of tension and acute pain your body sends as a signal to slow down, change position, or stop is another thing. Don’t compare yourself to others. The goal is to exercise most days, for life. That can only occur if you work with where you’re at now, listen to signals from the body, and adjust as needed.

How We Can Support You

At Seed to Fruit, we take a personalized, functional approach to exercise and mental health. Our process includes:

1. Assessing HPA axis function: Identifying stress load and cortisol patterns to match exercise type, intensity, and timing.

2. Aligning movement with capacity and interest: Personalizing routines for sustainable, enjoyable progression rather than forcing generic programs.

3. Holistic integration: Combining movement with nutrition, stress reduction, hormone optimization, glycemic regulation, sleep optimization, and gut support to maximize mental and physical benefits.

4. Tracking adaptation and progress: Gradually increasing intensity, volume, or complexity as resilience builds.

When exercise is approached thoughtfully, it becomes a foundational tool for mental clarity, emotional stability, and overall vitality—not just a short-term intervention, but a lifelong investment in your brain and body.

Steps You Can Take Today

• Incorporate at least 20–30 minutes of moderate activity most days, ideally outdoors for natural light and circadian support.

• Add resistance exercises 2–3 times per week to support strength, motivation, and metabolic health.

• Include practices that support mind-body health, balance and flexibility like yoga each week to reduce stress and improve autonomic health.

• Track your energy, mood, and sleep in response to different types and timing of exercise to find what works best.

• Avoid pushing through extreme fatigue or stress; listen to your body and prioritize recovery.

• Try to exercise at least 4 hours before bed as the increase in cortisol, endorphins, and body temp can make it difficult to sleep. Earlier tends to be better for most but find what works for you and your schedule.

• Anything is better than nothing.

References

1. Schuch, F. B., et al. (2016). Exercise as a treatment for depression: A meta-analysis adjusting for publication bias. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 77, 42–51.

2. Dishman, R. K., et al. (2006). Neurobiology of exercise. Obesity, 14(3), 345–356.

3. Cotman, C. W., Berchtold, N. C., & Christie, L. A. (2007). Exercise builds brain health: Key roles of growth factor cascades and inflammation. Trends in Neurosciences, 30(9), 464–472.