My first few years of college brought about health issues, weight gain, anxiety, and depression (in that order). While therapy helped me keep my head above water, my mental state was rarely ideal. My mind almost always felt cloudy and it took great effort to do anything, even activities that interested me. I wanted to be cheerful, but I couldn’t figure out how to stay positive.

Flash forward to senior year. I have less than a year until I get married. I have always dreamed of feeling confident and beautiful on my wedding day (who hasn’t?) so I signed up for not one, but TWO gym classes.

*Insert internal screaming.*

I told myself that it was time to tone my body and force myself to do something just for me, even if I didn’t want to.

After my first week of clumsily mounting the stationary bike and feeling intimated by the strength of my peers, I noticed a major difference in myself. I wasn’t as tired at 5 AM as I expected to be.

In fact, watching the sunrise during my workout brought a sense of peace to my morning. I felt accomplished and confident throughout the day, and I had more energy.

With this extra oomph, I found myself smiling more.

I am currently in my fourth week of consistently working out. Since I can’t attend fitness classes every day, I have noticed a marked decrease in my mental health and overall happiness on days where I don’t prioritize my fitness.

While my budding fitness journey has not significantly altered my physical appearance, the endorphin boost has made life, well, fun again.

Motivating yourself is tough, but finding something that makes it easier to start your fitness journey can make all the difference. For me, knowing that I have financially committed to a class and have a teacher expecting my presence helps me jump out of bed in the morning to run to the gym.

For others, it may be working out with a friend, or engaging in a strenuous-yet-fun activity like belly dancing or kayaking.

While I used to roll my eyes when someone recommended exercise to alleviate my depression, I am now a huge advocate of breaking a sweat to feel better.

If you are currently enduring mental health struggles, please consider moving your body regularly. You don’t have to be extreme, just consistent.