Is Jogging Good for Depression During Perimenopause?
Feeling low or flat during perimenopause? Learn how jogging boosts serotonin, supports emotional health, and can help lift the mood changes that come with hormonal shifts.
Depression and Perimenopause: A Common Connection
Low mood and depression during perimenopause are more common than many women expect, and more hormonal in origin than many GPs initially acknowledge. Estrogen directly influences the serotonin system, and as levels drop and fluctuate in perimenopause, the risk of developing depressive symptoms rises significantly. Women with a prior history of depression are particularly vulnerable. This is not weakness or simply 'having a hard time', it is a physiological change in brain chemistry that deserves to be taken seriously.
The Science Behind Jogging and Low Mood
Jogging has a direct and well-documented effect on the neurochemical pathways involved in depression. Aerobic exercise increases the availability of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, the same neurotransmitters targeted by antidepressant medications. It also stimulates the release of BDNF, a growth factor that supports new connections between brain cells and has been found to be low in people with depression. Regular jogging essentially creates a more antidepressant-friendly brain environment.
How Quickly Can You Expect to Feel Better?
Some mood lift can be felt during or immediately after a single run, through the release of endorphins and dopamine. However, the deeper antidepressant effect of jogging builds over weeks of consistent exercise. Most studies find meaningful improvements in depression scores after four to six weeks of regular aerobic exercise. This is a similar timescale to antidepressant medication, which is a useful benchmark and a reminder that patience and persistence are needed before judging whether it is working.
Practical Strategies When Depression Makes Running Hard
Depression reduces motivation profoundly, which creates a real barrier to the one activity most likely to help. On very low days, the goal should not be a good run. It should simply be movement. Walking for five minutes and stopping counts. Running to the end of the street and turning back counts. Pairing your jog with something you enjoy, a podcast, a playlist, a route through a park you like, reduces the effortful quality of getting started. Exercise with a friend or group removes the need to self-motivate entirely.
Supporting Yourself Beyond the Run
Jogging is a meaningful intervention for depression but is not a substitute for professional care when depression is moderate or severe. If low mood is persistent, affecting your ability to function, or accompanied by hopelessness, please speak to your GP. Jogging works well alongside therapy, and for some women, alongside HRT which addresses the hormonal root of the mood changes. Sleep, nutrition, and social connection also matter and compound the benefits of exercise significantly.
Building a Sustainable Routine
For jogging to work against depression, it needs to become regular rather than reactive. A useful approach is scheduling runs as fixed appointments in your diary, treating them with the same commitment as a medical appointment. Starting with short, easy jogs three times a week and building gradually prevents the overexertion that can trigger a backlash of fatigue and disengagement. Tracking your mood alongside your runs can reveal the pattern over time, which is often profoundly motivating and helps you stay consistent on the harder days.
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