Movements and Hormones
Why Is Exercise So Powerful for Mental Health?
Movement doesn’t just change your muscles — it changes your brain.
Research shows that regular physical activity:
Increases endorphins (feel-good brain chemicals)
Improves mood and reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression
Regulates cortisol, helping to manage stress
Supports better sleep, focus, and energy
Enhances self-esteem and body image
A 2023 meta-analysis in The British Journal of Sports Medicine found that exercise is 1.5x more effective than counselling or leading medications for treating depression and anxiety in some groups. And when it comes to women’s health specifically, there’s growing research supporting exercise as a non-invasive, low-cost tool to regulate hormonal changes across life stages.
Hormonal Shifts: How Movement Helps at Each Stage
Puberty & Adolescence
Hormonal surges during puberty can trigger mood swings, anxiety, and body image concerns. Movement — especially in supportive environments — can help build confidence, reduce stress, and lay the foundation for a healthy relationship with the body.
Tip: Focus on enjoyment over intensity. Dance, team sports, or yoga can all be great options for younger women
Monthly Cycle (Menstrual Health)
Many women notice fluctuations in mood, motivation, and energy throughout their menstrual cycle. For some, PMS or PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) symptoms can be intense.
Exercise helps:
Reduce bloating and cramping
Improve mood and emotional regulation
Lower perceived stress
Tip: Modify your training across your cycle. During the luteal phase (before your period), opt for lower-impact sessions, such as walking, Pilates, or mobility-based work, if your energy is lower.
Pregnancy & Postpartum
Hormonal shifts during pregnancy and the postpartum period can be extreme — and mental health challenges like perinatal anxiety and postnatal depression are unfortunately common.
Exercise has been shown to:
Reduce symptoms of prenatal and postnatal depression
Support better sleep and energy levels
Enhance connection to a changing body
Improve recovery post-birth
Tip: Choose gentle, pregnancy-safe movements with professional guidance. Even short walks can have a powerful impact on mood.
Perimenopause & Menopause
This stage — often starting in the 40s — involves fluctuating estrogen and progesterone levels that can lead to anxiety, mood changes, poor sleep, and reduced confidence.
Movement is a key support tool here:
Boosts mood and emotional resilience
Improves cognitive function and memory
Supports bone and heart health
Helps manage hot flashes and insomnia
Tip: Resistance training is especially beneficial during this stage to support bone density, muscle mass, and metabolism.
What Kind of Exercise Is Best?
The best kind of exercise? The one you’ll actually do and enjoy. But for hormonal and mental health support, these are the top contenders:
Low-Impact Cardio (like walking, swimming or cycling): Boosts mood and supports stress regulation
Strength Training: Supports hormones, metabolism, bone health, and brain function
Yoga or Pilates: Promotes calm, improves mobility, and reduces cortisol
Group or Social Activities: Provide connection and accountability, both of which are great for mental health
Start Where You Are
You don’t need a perfect routine. You just need to start. Even 10–15 minutes of movement a day can begin to shift your mental state and energy levels.
If you're navigating a specific hormonal transition — or dealing with mental health challenges — it's okay to seek guidance. A women’s health physiotherapist or exercise physiologist can help design a movement plan that’s safe, realistic, and personalised to you.
Final Thoughts
Hormonal shifts are a normal — and powerful — part of being a woman. But they don’t have to derail your mental health or sense of self.
Movement is one of the most empowering tools you have to feel more like yourself through every season of change.
So whether you’re bleeding, birthing, or moving through menopause, know this: your body is wise. And it’s never too late to move in a way that supports your mind, your mood, and your hormones.
