Exercise, in particular, can help ease the symptoms of depression. First, exercising boosts your energy, which can help you deal with your depression symptoms. Exercise also raises your endorphin levels, which can boost your mood and alleviate depression-related symptoms. Last, exercise reduces stress, which can also help lift your mood. If you're feeling depressed, it may be hard to want to go for a walk or do some other type of activity. But keeping active is good for your mind as well as your body. Studies have shown that people who exercise regularly have lower rates of depression than those who don't. Exercise also helps remove toxic substances from your body, such as cortisol and homocysteine. These chemicals are linked to depression and other mental illnesses. Try going for a walk after dinner each night. This will help get some light activity into your daily routine and can have other benefits for your heart health and weight loss goals. If you'd like to try another form of exercise, check out these 12 ways to improve your mental health: yoga, meditation, tai chi, etc. There are many options available, so find one that's right for you.