Is Rowing Good for Perimenopause Depression?
Learn how rowing can help lift perimenopause depression by boosting mood-regulating neurotransmitters and building daily routine.
Depression in Perimenopause Is Common and Underrecognised
A persistent low mood, loss of interest in things that used to feel enjoyable, fatigue, and a flat emotional quality to daily life are all features of depression that can emerge during perimenopause. Studies suggest that women in the perimenopause transition are two to four times more likely to experience a depressive episode than at other life stages, even if they have no previous history of depression. The cause is largely the effect of fluctuating and declining oestrogen on brain chemistry. Oestrogen modulates serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline, all of which regulate mood, motivation, and pleasure. When oestrogen drops, so does the biochemical scaffolding that keeps mood stable. Exercise is one of the few non-pharmaceutical interventions with robust evidence for improving depression, and rowing is an especially effective form.
How Rowing Affects Brain Chemistry
When you row at a moderate to vigorous pace for 20 minutes or more, your brain releases a cascade of chemicals that directly counter depression. Serotonin levels increase, supporting mood stability and a sense of wellbeing. Dopamine rises, restoring motivation and the ability to feel pleasure, both of which are often blunted in depression. Noradrenaline increases, improving energy and cognitive sharpness. Beyond immediate neurotransmitter effects, regular aerobic exercise like rowing promotes neurogenesis, the growth of new neurons, particularly in the hippocampus, a brain region that shrinks in chronic depression. The antidepressant effect of consistent exercise is well documented in clinical literature and is considered roughly comparable to medication for mild to moderate depression.
The Role of Routine in Managing Low Mood
One of depression's most insidious features is how it undermines motivation and disrupts daily structure. When you feel low, exercise is often the last thing you feel capable of. This is why building rowing into a simple, low-barrier routine is important. The threshold for getting started should be as small as possible. Putting on gym clothes, sitting on the rowing machine, and rowing for just 10 minutes is a legitimate goal on days when depression feels heavy. Research consistently shows that the first five minutes of exercise are the hardest. Once the body is moving, mood almost always shifts. A committed but flexible rowing habit, even two sessions per week on difficult days, maintains the neurochemical benefits and prevents the complete withdrawal from activity that deepens depression.
Rowing as a Physical Release for Emotional Tension
Depression in perimenopause often carries a component of suppressed emotional intensity. Grief for a former sense of self, frustration with physical changes, or unexpressed anger at the demands of daily life can sit beneath a flat or exhausted surface mood. Rowing provides a physical outlet for this tension that other exercise forms sometimes do not match as effectively. The power drive of the legs and the pull of the arms are vigorous, almost cathartic movements when performed with full effort. Many women describe feeling genuinely lighter after a hard rowing session in a way that a gentle walk does not always produce. If you have the energy for it, intervals of higher intensity within a session can help process and release this emotional load.
Combining Rowing With Other Treatments
Rowing is a powerful adjunct to perimenopause depression but should not be used as a substitute for professional support when depression is significant. A GP can assess whether hormone replacement therapy is appropriate, as restoring oestrogen directly addresses one of the primary causes of perimenopause-related low mood. Antidepressants or talking therapies may also be indicated depending on severity. Rowing adds consistent daily momentum to whatever treatment approach you are using. The discipline of maintaining physical activity supports other healthy habits including sleep, nutrition, and social engagement, creating a reinforcing cycle that counteracts the downward pull of depression.
Practical Starting Points
If depression has reduced your energy and motivation, starting small is entirely valid. Begin with two sessions of 15 minutes each week at a comfortable, easy pace. The goal initially is simply to establish the habit, not to maximise fitness. As weeks pass and mood begins to lift, you can increase duration and frequency naturally. Using a heart rate monitor can help you stay in the moderate zone, roughly 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate, which is the range most associated with mood benefits. Tracking your sessions in a simple diary alongside notes on how you felt before and after will help you see the connection between rowing and improved mood, which itself builds motivation to continue.
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Social Rowing Adds Another Layer of Support
Depression thrives on isolation. One often-overlooked benefit of rowing is that it can be a social activity. Rowing clubs, indoor rowing classes, and group rowing sessions provide community alongside the physical benefits. Being around other people who share a goal, even for an hour, counters the withdrawal that depression encourages. If joining a club feels too demanding, indoor rowing classes at a gym provide a lower-commitment version of the same social connection. Even the routine of arriving at a gym where staff or other members recognise you creates a thin but real thread of human contact that depression often erodes. Social engagement and exercise together are more effective than either alone.