Friday, December 26, 2008

If you need to Improve your mood, why not try exercising?

By June Bell

People are always being warned about the health benefits of exercising, mainly the improvement and maintenance of physical fitness and the prevention of heart disease, blood pressure illness, and diabetes. Countless others do not,while many of us happily comply. Irrespective of whether it is using the treadmill or short walk around the block, staying fit and healthy does not seem to be a driver for us to leave the comfort of the couch.

It's my belief that if more people knew how exercise can give them mental benefits, they'd start exercising more often. It is easier to convince a bored or lethargic person to participate in exercise for the benefits of their mood and emotions, than just for their physical health. Even though it doesn't make sense, this is how a person's mind works. Generally, if you are feeling low, you probably feel bad about yourself and maybe slightly hopeless you are not in the mood to take on physical challenges to realize the long-term goals of health and well-being.

It's a lot easier to talk someone into exercising in order to pick up their spirits. As little as ten minutes of moderate exercise can make you feel less fatigued and more optimistic. On the other side, you can not expect to get good results from exercise (health along with physical fitness) for however long it takes, unless you commit to at least thirty minutes of moderate but regular exercise a day. You will be doing this for the rest of your life, as to stop exercising will have an adverse effect on your healthy and physical well-being.

Research has shown that exercising exerts its effects on the brain in several ways, including something called neurogenesis the development of nerve tissue) and endorphin release, which is believed to enhance a persons mood. Your body warns of stress and pain through the release of endorphines from your pituitary gland. which is precisely what exercise means to many people. Sense they stop the transmission of pain signals going to the brain and give off the same feeling of euphoria, endorphins which are all said to be natural feel good chemicals. An improvement in the moods of patients experiencing depression who have been given Beta-endorphin injections has been reported by researchers. Serotonin, adrenaline and dopamine, which are all released by your body when you perform exercises, these all work together so that you naturally boost your mood - almost instantly.

"Endorphin" literally refers to morphine that the human body manufactures. For what reason? Well, because the chemical structure of endorphins is similar to that of morphine and because, like morphine, they prevent you from feeling pain. Morphine and endorphins act upon the same brain receptors. Exercise not only releases endorphins throughout the body in the bloodstream you will find that you have had a significant reduction in cortisol, tension and anxiety as a result.

The best part is that you dont need to run a mile or to spend an hour at the gym. Your mood with be significantly improved if you exercise moderately. In addition to these natural chemical processes, exercise can, of course, improve your self-image, boost your confidence and distract you from everyday worries, making you a happier person on the long run.

Turn off the TV and go for a brisk walk. You will definitely feel better, a lot better, so much that you just might want to do it again the next time you are feeling bored or low, and possibly do it again the next time. There will become a point that you may notice an improvement in your mental well being as well as your physical. - 15683

About the Author: