How exercise makes you happy

Wendy Suzuki, Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at the Center for Neuroscience at New York University, once said in a TED talk about exercise that “Just moving your body has immediate, long-term and protective benefits for your brain. “.

There aren’t many things we can do for the body or mind that have such a positive and immediate impact. Sure, we can eat a bowl of ice cream when we’re feeling down and briefly feel better because of it, but it also has some major downsides. we gain weight and will probably have a sugar crash a few hours later. Drinking alcohol may make us happier in the short term, but that’s just borrowing tomorrow’s happiness and more often than not leads to hangovers and permanent negative effects.

Exercise, however, will have a positive chemical effect on your brain, reducing stress and improving mood, as well as resulting in lasting positive benefits for the brain and body.

When you just look at the correlation between people who exercise and happiness, it’s hard to say whether exercise makes someone happy or whether happy people tend to exercise more. A study of Stanford University student-athletes actually found that happiness for this group was more a result of personality and temperament than athletic ability. However, when we dig deeper into the science, we can see that exercise is a huge contributing factor.

The University of Vermont found that just 20 minutes of exercise can boost someone’s mood for up to 12 hours. So the next time you’re feeling down, go for a 20-minute run or gym and reap the benefits for the next 11 hours.

How does exercise improve happiness?

Exercise does many things to the brain. You may have heard of endorphins, right? These are hormones produced by the central nervous system and the pituitary gland within the brain. Their main job is to inhibit the transmission of pain signals, but they also produce an emotion or euphoria. This is what makes you feel happier immediately and the results will last for quite some time.

However, endorphins are the only “feel good” chemicals released through exercise. Your body will also produce serotonin, norepinephrine, BDNF and dopamine, the reward chemical. All of these have huge positive benefits for the mind. The bottom line: the combination of these five chemicals will boost your mood and has been shown to help relieve both anxiety and depression.

Exercise doesn’t just produce more hormones, it actually helps lower cortisol and adrenaline levels in the body, both of which chemicals in high doses can cause stress. So simply by reducing them, you will be able to reduce the stress your brain feels. It goes without saying that reducing negative chemicals and increasing positive chemicals results in a huge shift towards feeling happier.

Exercise also has a greater and longer-lasting effect on the brain, helping to maintain brain function and prevent cognitive decline. Something that will strengthen the brain making it less prone to negative chemicals and thus make it easier to maintain a happier outlook on life.

How much exercise if enough?

Cardio workouts are great for mental health and happiness. Studies from the US Department of Health have shown that 30 to 60 minutes of exercise, 3 to 5 times a week will provide you with significant mental health benefits. However, you don’t have to go all out to reap the benefits, research has also shown that a short walk can improve your mood.

In terms of quantity, a Canadian study of walkers found that 30 minutes of daily exercise had a greater effect on mood than breaking it up into three 10-minute sessions. Therefore, showing that you should try to do your exercise for the day in one session, rather than spreading them out. One long walk is better than a few short walks here and there.

Types of exercise

You don’t have to focus only on cardiovascular work. Strength training will also have a positive and immediate impact on happiness, it has also been shown to reduce anxiety, depression and has the added benefit of self-esteem. However, there is a sweet spot when it comes to happiness and strength training. People felt happier after a moderate intensity strength training session than after higher or lower intensity sessions (Rutgers University).

If you’re not interested in cardio and strength training, then a more relaxed exercise like yoga and tai chi might suit you. Each of these have similar, if lesser, benefits to cardio and strength training, such as relieving stress and depression, but they can also add the added benefit of relaxing and calming your mind.

It’s important to find something that works for you. We are much more likely to stick with something if we enjoy it. So, even though a moderate 45-minute run outdoors can have the biggest impact on your mood, if you don’t want to do it, you’re less likely to keep up. No matter how much dopamine your body rewards you with, if you hate running, you’re not going to do it.

Team sports may be more up your alley. Tennis, squash, netball or footy all have the same positive benefits available to you plus you get a social aspect of exercise.

conclusion

In essence, whether you’re going for a walk or participating in a high-energy team sport, doing something is better than doing nothing. If you find something you love or something you will do regularly, you will be one step closer to happiness and a less stressful life. You will improve your brain function throughout your life, which has also been shown to reduce the risks of dementia and strokes. Exercise is good for your brain and body.

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