Move Your Mental Health™ Report

Brand new as of 2022!

Three decades of science make it clear: exercise should be integrated into prevention and treatment of mental illness and promotion of mental wellness.

Routinely moving our bodies is a key element in the ecosystem of factors that help us to build our mental and emotional well-being.

Whether pumping iron, owning the treadmill, strengthening the core with yoga or tai chi, or less rigorous activities such as walking or household chores, motion is indisputably associated with mental health benefits.

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Below you can download the 83-page Move Your Mental Health™ Report, based on our review of all published research between 1990 and 2022 reporting on how over twenty different forms of physical activity impact mental health outcomes. You can also read the boiled down version in the Executive Summary, or explore the science in the searchable data visualization below. Just choose the types of exercise you are interested in, or the mental health outcomes you’d like to learn more about. You’ll see the landscape of studies, and can link directly to the articles to read on your own!

Hot off the press, this report summarizes the last three decades of research on the links between exercise and mental health. The short story?

Existing scientific research overwhelmingly indicates that exercise and physical activity benefit mental health.
89% of all published peer-reviewed research between 1990 and 2022 found a positive, statistically significant relationship between exercise/physical activity and mental health.
Overall, three to five 30-45-minute moderate to vigorous exercise sessions per week appear to deliver optimal mental health benefits.
People meeting criteria for depressive disorders should be prescribed 30-45 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise 3-5 times per week, ideally beginning with structured group supervised exercise, or individual coaching by a physical therapist or fitness professional.
Evidence supports prescribing yoga, qi gong, or mind-body movement for people experiencing symptoms of anxiety. Cardiovascular/aerobic and strength/resistance training should be encouraged and monitored for effectiveness.

Learn more by downloading the JWB Foundation Move Your Mental Health™ report today

“The Brick Foundation has done a tremendous job of synthesizing the science of exercise and mental health. Essential reading for mental health professionals and everyone in the wellness industry”

“This synthesis of the evidence by the John W. Brick Foundation makes it clear that exercise and movement practices are key to mental health, and paves the way for physical activity to be recognized and integrated as a key component of mental health promotion and treatment.”

"The John W. Brick Mental Health Foundation has made a groundbreaking contribution to expanding our approaches to mental health care with this report. It makes 30 years of research on movement and mental health immediately accessible to guide families and professionals in incorporating physical activity into fostering mental and emotional wellbeing."

“From cycling to weight training to yoga: this state-of-the-art report conveys which forms of physical activity are best for which psychological conditions, identifies trends to watch, and makes crucial recommendations for next steps of integrating physical activity into recovery from mental health challenges.”

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Move Your Mental Health™ Report

Brand new as of 2022!

JWB’s New Groundbreaking Report: Move Your Mental Health™

Sponsored by

Play with the Data