The evidence on movement and mental health is some of the strongest in the field. A brisk walk genuinely changes what is happening in the brain. So does dancing in the kitchen, doing yoga, or going for a swim. The body and the mind are not separate systems, and the data on physical activity is catching up to what most of us intuitively know.

What gets more complicated is the how. What counts as movement? What is realistic? And how do South Asian bodies, South Asian schedules, and South Asian relationships with exercise actually fit into advice that was mostly designed for someone else?

What the research actually shows

A landmark meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2023, covering 97 studies and over 128,000 participants, found that physical activity was 1.5 times more effective than medication or therapy for improving symptoms of depression, anxiety, and psychological distress. Those are significant numbers.

The mechanisms are increasingly well understood. Exercise increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which supports neuroplasticity. It reduces cortisol and adrenaline. It increases serotonin and dopamine availability. Harvard Medical School describes the antidepressant effect of aerobic exercise as comparable to standard antidepressants for mild to moderate depression.

And the dosage required is lower than most people think. 20 to 30 minutes of moderate movement, 3 to 5 times a week, is where most of the mental health benefit sits. We do not need to train for a marathon.

South Asian relationships with movement: what gets in the way

South Asian communities in Canada have specific patterns around physical activity that are worth understanding.

Research on South Asian populations in Canada and the UK consistently finds lower rates of leisure-time physical activity, particularly among women and older adults. A study in Preventive Medicine Reports found that cultural norms, safety concerns, family obligations, and the framing of exercise as a leisure activity (rather than a necessity) were the primary barriers named by South Asian participants.

There is also a generational layer. Many first-generation South Asians associate physical labour with survival and hardship, not wellbeing. Going to a gym can feel frivolous. Taking time for a walk can feel like abandoning responsibilities.

These are real patterns. They deserve to be named, not just dismissed as lack of motivation.

Movement that fits South Asian life

The research is clear that the type of movement matters less than the consistency. Which means the best form of exercise is the one that actually gets done.

For South Asian communities, some forms of movement carry built-in cultural relevance. Classical dance forms like Bharatanatyam, Kathak, and Bhangra are aerobic, rhythmic, and community-embedded. They are also genuinely joyful for people who grew up with them. Research on dance as a mental health intervention is growing and consistently positive.

Walking, particularly group or family walking, fits the collectivist orientation of many South Asian households. It builds connection alongside movement. Studies on social exercise consistently find that moving with others increases adherence and enjoyment compared to solo exercise.

Yoga, in its less commercialised forms, carries genuine lineage in South Asian culture. For people who feel alienated by Western wellness spaces, reconnecting with movement traditions that are actually theirs can matter.

The connection between movement and mental health care

Movement works well alongside therapy, and it is worth naming why. Exercise supports the same neurobiological systems that therapy works to regulate. Sleep improves. Rumination decreases. The body becomes a resource rather than a source of tension. For people working through anxiety or depression, movement is not a substitute for professional support. It is a complement to it.

We also know that gut health and mood are connected. Movement supports gut motility and microbial diversity, which loops back into mood regulation. The systems in the body are not siloed. What we do with our bodies affects our minds, and vice versa.

A note on pressure and perfectionism

South Asian perfectionism is real. It can turn even movement, something meant to help, into another performance standard.

The goal here is not a fitness transformation. It is 20 minutes. A walk. A stretch in the morning. Whatever is honest and sustainable. Starting there matters more than starting perfect.

If movement feels impossible because everything else is already too heavy, that is worth talking about with someone. A first session at Sukoon is a place to bring the whole picture, not just the parts that look manageable.