To see real results, you don't need to do as much activity as you might think. Consistency is key. Doing a little bit every day has been proven better than doing a lot all at once. And there are several tricks you can use to get through tough workouts.

In Part I of this series, we uncovered how daily stress and long-buried trauma conspire to damage both your mental and physical health, but exercise can turn it all around. (If you missed it, go read Part I now).

Part II dives in to how much training you need to see results and how to build the grit needed to get there. You'll learn why consistency beats intensity, and how you –and the people you care about – can keep the fitness habit for life.

How Much Exercise Is Needed for Mental Health Benefits?

The amount of exercise you need to feel substantially better is shockingly low and non-specific. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans states that adults should do at least two hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week. That's defined as "anything that gets your heart beating faster." This could include walking, cycling, swimming, dancing, or working in your yard. You can spread the total time out in any way you like. For instance, if you wanted to do the bare minimum at a time, a little over 20 minutes per day would be enough – and you don't have to get all 20 minutes at once either.

Alternatively, the guidelines say you can opt for one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week, consisting of running or fast-paced sports. Of course, you can also combine moderate and vigorous work to hit your numbers.

Muscle-strengthening exercise is important too. The government recommends doing it a minimum of two days per week. Anything that makes your muscles work harder than usual is OK here, so if you're not into the idea of heavy lifting, bodyweight exercises like pushups, air squats, yoga, and Pilates can suffice.

If all of that makes you roll your eyes, the guidelines suggest doing what you can and building it up over time. Even a few minutes of activity is health-promoting.

It just so happens that the general recommendations for physical health apply to mental health, too. Both the HHS and CDC specifically state that the amount of exercise described above will help with symptoms of anxiety and depression, and improve overall mental well-being. Here's a quick breakdown of the types and amounts of exercise that are known to deliver mental health benefits. Our suggestion? Pick a handful, mix it up, and have fun with it!

The Challenge is the Point

To get the benefits of exercise, you have to be willing to do it. And that takes a degree of mental toughness. Training your body, or just simply being more active, doesn't have to resemble a Rocky movie montage. But it does need to push you out of your comfort zone (at least a little) to be effective long-term.

According to a 2021 trial in Frontiers in Psychology, mental toughness can be trained just like any other physical quality.

How To Develop Mental Toughness

The researchers in the study above determined that developing the grit to push through tough exercise sessions comes down to three main factors:

How To Develop Self-Efficacy

It's easy to say, "Believe in yourself," but it's much harder to do. Since self-efficacy is probably the toughest factor in developing grit, it warrants a quick discussion of its own. Apart from psychological counseling, the Frontiers in Psychology study offers the following tips.

Strength Training and Cardio for Resilience

Resistance training and aerobics (1, 2) have both been found to create behavioral change that translates to an improved ability to handle adversity in general.

For one thing, the simple act of doing – whether it's lifting weights or running on a treadmill – helps form the habit over time. Once you get some momentum behind you, it's hard to quit. For another, training (particularly endurance work) requires prolonged exertion, which makes you confront discomfort and self-doubt as you push through fatigue. Nobody expects you to ignore heavy breathing and sore feet when you start running, but you will get more accustomed to the sensations over time. And gradually, you'll build the physical stamina and mental willingness to endure them.

Third, fitness regimens encourage you to set goals – and that helps keep you engaged. If you decide to train for a race like a marathon or 10K, you'll have to adhere to a structured routine, building discipline and patience.

Consistency Beats Intensity For Mental Health Results

The best exercise is the one you'll do, meaning something you enjoy and are willing to repeat nearly every day. It's great if you already know what your thing is, but be prepared for motivation to wax and wane. Many people start a fitness regimen with lofty goals and high enthusiasm, wanting to get in shape ASAP. But quickly, they start training too hard and can burn out within weeks. Science shows it's better to take it slow.

A 2024 study in the Journal of Public Health examined the effects of moderate and high-intensity aerobic training. Moderate aerobics raise your heart rate to medium and have you keep it there a while; high-intensity workouts alternate spiking it with hard work and letting it come back down.

Both forms of exercise were effective in improving aerobic capacity as well as reducing anxiety and depression. But in a follow-up one year later, researchers found that more people in the moderate-intensity group were still adhering to their exercise program. Moderate activity requires less effort and recovery time compared to high-intensity work. That makes it less intimidating and ultimately easier to stick with.

Other research (1, 2) further supports the idea that lower-intensity exercise done regularly (ideally, a little every day) works better long-term than harder workouts done sporadically, even when the duration is shorter. In other words, don't try to be a hero – just be consistent.

How To Build An Exercise Habit That Sticks

The best way to be consistent with exercise isn't to cue up inspirational YouTube videos or motivational speeches (although that doesn't hurt). But rather, establish the habit of doing it regularly, whether you're in the mood or not.

Make appointments with yourself to take walks or go to the gym. And keep them no matter what. Even if all you do is get halfway around the block, or change into your gym clothes in the locker room and then come home, you're better off doing that than nothing at all. Eventually, the pattern of simply showing up for yourself will become ingrained. You'll do a little more exercise each time and, before you know it, you'll be working out. Believe it.

A 2025 study used an unconventional approach to understand fitness motivation. It analyzed unfiltered conversations on Reddit, the social media message board site, rather than sending out formal surveys. Researchers found that Redditors stayed on track via the following strategies:

• Choosing exercise according to their personal preferences and schedules.
• Working out at the same time of day, such as in the morning before work or after the workday.
• Setting goals (losing weight, increasing fitness levels).
• Using apps or journals to record progress.
• Investing in a gym membership to create a sense of obligation.

A review in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity explains that people who are motivated intrinsically are more likely to stay in shape than those who do it for the promise of external reward. Translation: if you exercise because you enjoy it, or find something in it that is personally fulfilling, you're going to have a better chance of staying in shape and reaping the benefits long-term.

Exercising With Friends: The Key to Long-Term Success

Barry's Bootcamp®, CrossFit®, Orangetheory®, and Zumba® don't have legions of followers because their workouts are unusually effective. They're popular because they make exercise a social event where people can go to see their friends, or meet new ones. To make fitness a permanent part of your life, don't go it alone – especially if you're doing it for mental health.

For one thing, the camaraderie of training alongside others makes workouts more enjoyable, so you keep coming back. Sessions feel more like a night out than a trip to a dungeon. Another factor is the accountability. Oxford researchers have found that exercising with friends can actually boost performance and help you form lasting social bonds.

They had crew team members row alone, and with others. Unsurprisingly, the athletes rowed longer when they had the encouragement of their peers.

It's not just about having buddies to cheer you on. Scientists believe that fatigue may be determined as much by perception of effort than by the body nearing its actual limits. When you're in a supportive environment, you feel safer, and subconsciously become willing to push yourself harder.

Remember those chemicals your body releases when you exercise? They make you feel more positive and connected to people around you, too. That in turn can make you feel closer to your exercise partners – long after the workout is over.

Loneliness is an epidemic these days, and feelings of isolation are a major source of chronic stress. Research suggests that the health detriments of feeling socially disconnected can be as harmful as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. Going to an exercise class or inviting a friend on a run wouldn't just be the start of a new health regimen. It could lead to relationships that change the course of your life.

How Can NOBULL Help With My Wellness Goals?

NOBULL is evolving from a footwear brand for active people to a resource center for all things fitness and wellness. Expect to see more articles and videos on this blog covering important topics in training, nutrition, mindset, recovery, and more. And at the center of it all is a burgeoning online community of wellness-seekers (like you!) that we invite you to join.

You'll also find killer shoes and apparel to give you the best tools for the work ahead. But make no mistake: that work is yours to do.

Our mission is to offer you paths to take on your fitness journey, and quite literally, the shoes to walk it in. But no brand, product, or service can replace your consistent effort over time to reach your goals. Be wary of anything that promises otherwise.

If you're new to working out, start by learning the difference between gym shoes and running shoes, and what to look for in training footwear with our Expert Guide To Gym Shoes.

And if you're new to NOBULL, find the right pair of sneakers for your goals in Which NOBULL Shoes Are Right for Me?