Winter Blues: How Exercise Can Help You Feel Better in the Darker Months

Yes, exercise can help with the winter blues. The NHS says regular exercise can boost your mood, and its self-help advice for seasonal affective disorder (SAD) includes getting as much natural daylight as you can, getting regular exercise and staying in contact with friends and family.

World Mental Health Day falls on Saturday 10 October 2026, and two weeks later the clocks go back on Sunday 25 October. That makes now a good moment to put a simple winter routine in place, before the dark evenings arrive. This guide covers what the NHS says about low mood in winter, when to get help, and the small habits that make the darker months feel lighter.

What are the winter blues, and how are they different from SAD?

The winter blues is not a medical term. It is the everyday phrase for that flatter, slower feeling a lot of people notice when the days get short: less energy, less get-up-and-go, and a pull towards the sofa. For many people it is mild and passes as the days lengthen again.

Seasonal affective disorder is different. The NHS describes SAD as a type of depression that usually happens in the winter. Symptoms it lists include low mood, losing interest in things you usually enjoy, feeling guilty, hopeless or worthless, finding it hard to concentrate, eating and sleeping more than usual, and in some cases thoughts of suicide or self-harm.

Only a professional can tell you which one you are dealing with, so if those symptoms sound familiar, read the next section first.

When should you see a GP?

The NHS says to see a GP if you think you might have SAD, or if you have already been diagnosed and your treatment is not helping. More broadly, it says it is important to get help from a GP if you think you may be depressed. Treatments a GP can talk you through include talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), light therapy and antidepressants.

If you live in England and are 18 or over, you can also refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies, which the NHS says may help with things like persistent low mood and anxiety.

Exercise can sit alongside any of this. It is one of the things the NHS suggests you try yourself, not a replacement for treatment.

Why can exercise help you feel better in winter?

The NHS puts it simply: even moderate exercise releases chemicals in your brain that lift your mood. Its page on exercise for depression adds that any exercise is better than none, and even a brisk 10-minute walk can clear your mind and help you relax.

There are practical reasons too:

• It gets you outside. A walk or run in daylight ticks off two of the NHS self-help suggestions at once.
• It gives the week a shape. When it is dark at both ends of the working day, a few fixed sessions stop the days blurring together.
• It gives you a win. Ticking off a session, however short, counts on a day that might not have many.
• It can be social. A walk with a friend or a group run is exercise and company in one go.

The NHS also makes a point worth holding on to: exercise should be something you enjoy, otherwise it may be hard to stay motivated. So pick the thing you will actually do, not the thing you think you should do. If running is your thing, our honest guide to running for mental health goes deeper on what the research does and does not show.

How can you get more daylight when the days are short?

The NHS advice for SAD is to get as much natural daylight as you can and to try to go outside in the daytime every day. In a UK winter that takes planning, because if you work indoors the light can be gone by the time you finish.

• Take a lunchtime walk. The middle of the day is often the brightest part of it. Even 10 to 20 minutes around the block counts.
• Walk part of your commute. Get off a stop early, or park further away, so you see some daylight on the way in.
• Save your longest session for the weekend. A long walk or easy run in daylight on Saturday or Sunday is the easiest win of the week.

If you do end up training after dark, our guide to running safely in the dark this winter covers lights, routes and kit.

Is moving in the morning worth it?

For a lot of people, yes. After the clocks go back on 25 October, mornings are lighter for a few weeks, a good window to build a morning habit. A short walk, some mobility or a quick bodyweight set first thing means you have done something for yourself before the day takes over.

It also fits another NHS tip for SAD: try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. A regular morning session gives you a reason to get up at a steady time. Ten minutes of brisk walking and a stretch is a perfectly good start.

Not a morning person? Do not force it. The best time to move is the time you will stick to.

Why does training with other people help so much in winter?

The NHS advice for SAD includes staying in contact with friends and family and keeping up with your usual activities. Exercising with other people does both, and it is harder to cancel on a friend than on yourself.

• A standing walk with a friend. Same day, same time, every week.
• parkrun. Free, timed 5k events on Saturday mornings, and you are welcome to walk the whole way.
• A beginner running group or club. Many have slower groups for people just starting out.
• A class. A HIIT, strength or dance class at a leisure centre gets you out of the house and into a room with people.

The NHS notes that NICE recommends group exercise as an option for people with less severe depression, so this is more than just a nice extra.

How do small wins keep you going?

When energy is low, big goals feel heavy. Small ones are easier to start and finish, and finishing builds momentum.

• Use the 10-minute rule. Promise yourself just 10 minutes. If you want to stop after that, stop. Most days you will carry on.
• Lower the bar on bad days. A walk instead of a run still counts. So does five minutes of stretching.
• Track it. A week of ticks is a quiet boost when it feels like you have done nothing.
• Be kind about missed days. One missed session is not a failed week. Just do the next one.

What does a simple winter week look like?

This gentle week adds up to around the NHS guideline of at least 150 minutes of moderate activity, with strength work on two days. Swap days around to suit your life.

New to this? Start with the walks and one strength session, and build up over a few weeks.

What about vitamin D in winter?

The NHS says that during autumn and winter the sun is not strong enough for your body to make vitamin D, and that everyone should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D at this time of year. That is general health advice, not a mood fix. Our guide to vitamin D for runners through autumn and winter explains more, and a pharmacist can help if you are unsure what to take.

How can Edge help you keep moving this winter?

Edge is a free fitness app with 20,000+ members. If you want structure without the guesswork, Edge Pro gives you a fully personalised plan across running, strength, HIIT and mobility, ready within 24 hours, and you can message a real coach anytime, including when you need a lighter week. It syncs with Strava, Garmin, Apple Health and Coros.

Edge Rewards, a free programme where any logged workout will earn points towards real rewards, launches in November. Sometimes a small reason to get out of the door is exactly what a grey day needs.

Edge is not affiliated with World Mental Health Day, the World Health Organization, the NHS or any organisation mentioned in this article. Health details are taken from NHS guidance at the time of writing.

This article is general guidance, not medical advice. If you are new to exercise, returning from injury, pregnant, or managing a health condition, speak to your GP before starting, and see a physio for any niggle that does not settle.