Is Boxing Good for Depression During Perimenopause?
Perimenopausal depression responds well to vigorous exercise. Find out how boxing can lift mood, restore energy, and give you a sense of agency when everything feels heavy.
When Low Mood Meets Midlife
Depression during perimenopause is not weakness or simply a reaction to life stress. Falling estrogen directly disrupts serotonin pathways, which is why many women who have never experienced depression before find themselves struggling in their 40s. The flatness, the lack of motivation, the sense that nothing is enjoyable any more, these are recognised hormonal symptoms. And while they deserve proper medical attention, exercise is one of the most consistently supported non-pharmacological tools available.
What Makes Boxing Different from Other Exercise
Walking and yoga are both genuinely helpful for low mood. But boxing offers something additional: intensity with aggression. There is something psychologically releasing about hitting something hard. It externalises frustration. It requires full engagement, you cannot be mentally checked out while throwing combinations. And the technical skill involved, learning footwork, combinations, defence, creates a sense of progression and mastery that depression tends to strip away.
The Brain Chemistry Behind It
High-intensity exercise like boxing triggers a significant release of endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin. These are the exact neurotransmitters that depression depletes. Research consistently shows that vigorous exercise performed three or more times per week produces antidepressant effects comparable to medication in people with mild to moderate depression. For perimenopausal women, this effect is particularly relevant because the mechanism, raising serotonin activity, directly counters what hormonal fluctuation is doing.
Starting When Motivation Is the First Casualty
Depression makes starting anything feel monumental. The key is reducing friction to almost nothing. Put your gloves by the door the night before. Commit to five minutes of shadowboxing and allow yourself to stop if you want to. Most of the time you will keep going. A 15-minute session is far more valuable than a 45-minute session you never started. If a class appeals, booking in advance creates a commitment structure that bypasses the morning voice that says it is not worth it.
Supporting Your Recovery Holistically
Boxing works best as part of a broader approach. If your depression is significant, please speak to your GP. HRT is effective for hormonally-driven low mood and is worth discussing alongside exercise. Sleep, nutrition, and social connection all interact with mood. Boxing can improve sleep quality, which in turn lifts mood further. The aim is a reinforcing upward cycle rather than one intervention carrying the whole load.
Noticing Progress Over Time
Depression can make it hard to notice gradual improvement. Keeping a simple log of your workouts and rating your mood afterward, even just a number from one to ten, can reveal upward trends that feel invisible in the moment. PeriPlan lets you log workouts and track symptoms, giving you a record to look back on when you need evidence that things are shifting. Small consistent efforts compound into real change.
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