Fit People Feel Good

I have the best job ever! I get to workout in classes with my friends and my job (eventually) makes people happy! Not only do I love to exercise, I NEED to exercise! In our home, my children know the familiar phrase, “a healthy mommy is a HAPPY mommy!” I use this phrase when I’m going for a run or a bike. My husband also shares this affinity for exercise. If one of us is cranky, it isn’t uncommon for the other to suggest going for a run. This isn’t offensive at all because we BOTH know we will feel better afterwards. And it’s not because we have some strange gene that makes us love exercise - exercise can have that effect on you too!!

Did you know it is a FACT that exercise has positive effects on the brain? Studies show that a consistent commitment to exercise decreases anxiety, reduces depression, increases self-esteem and improves restful sleep. While exercise cannot be treated as a solution for a serious mental health condition, it is a helpful addition to other mental health treatments. For milder mental health struggles, exercise can lead to relief from worry and stress. Researchers at Duke University demonstrated several years ago that exercise has antidepressant properties. But the big question is just HOW does exercise improve mental health?
One theory on the benefits of exercise includes the fact that exercise triggers the production of endorphins. Endorphins are natural opiates which are chemically similar to morphine. It is thought that in response to the shock that they body receives during exercise - endorphins are produced as natural pain relievers.

Though we don’t really know how or why, some studies have found that exercise boosts activity in the brain's frontal lobes and the hippocampus. Antidepressant medications are thought to boost the chemicals serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. These are neurotransmitters which are associated with elevated mood. Animal studies have found that the levels of these neurotransmitters increase with exercise.

There is another substance called “brain-derived neurotrophic factor” (BDNF) which is thought to improve mood. Studies have indicated that exercise has also been found to increase the levels of BDNF.

This doesn’t mean you will feel a dramatic mental reward with a walk around your block. Researchers have found that the mental health effects of exercise are greater when you choose strenuous, aerobic forms of exercise that elevate your heart rate and increase your blood circulation. This effect sometimes takes a few weeks to be observable. Also, greater mental rewards from exercise have been seen in people who were either not that fit to begin with or who suffer from a high degree of anxiety.

Consider including a regular exercise program into your life if you find that you are feeling anxious, constantly under stress or suffering from persistent low self-esteem. When someone feels low in energy it is easy to avoid exercise all together. Beginning slowly and choosing an activity that encourages you will likely make you want to get out and do it again.

Hiking or walking in a scenic spot or trail is examples of fun ways to begin. You can challenge yourself more as your stamina and endurance increase like walking faster or hiking up a steeper hill. The important thing is that you regularly challenge yourself on a cardiovascular level.

The bottom line is that most of us feel good after exercise. Physical exercise is good for our brains and our mental health. We may not fully understand it, but we can start feeling good today.

Sources:
John Briley. "Feel Good After a Workout? Well, Good for You." The Washington Post, Tuesday, April 25, 2006.
James A. Blumenthal, et al. "Effects of Exercise Training on Older Patients With Major Depression." Archives of Internal Medicine, October 25, 1999.