FITNESS FRIDAY 12/29/17 - How Much Exercise Can Improve Your Mood?

How Much Exercise Can Improve Your Mood?

With the Winter weather, shorter day light hours and Holiday season or stressors, it can be more challenging to get in workouts or activity.... Which can lead us to feeling more "sluggish, moody, or un-motivated".

Moving more can benefit your mental health...(even a 15-minute walk—can help to turn a frown upside down). Heres what you need to know to find your "Feel-good exercise".

Exercise and the Brain

There are so many things that happen to the body during a single workout—increased heart rate and metabolism, changes in neurochemical pathways—that it can be difficult to determine which actions lead to each change in the brain. But when it comes to mood, changes in the brain are relatively swift and easy to see. A single bout of exercise can change neurotransmitter levels in the brain, increasing dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins—all of which have been associated with a good mood and/or pain management. These neurochemicals are the brains natural opiate. Add exercise, and your brain turns on the feel-good chemicals almost instantly.

How Much is Enough?

Each persons reaction to exercise is different based on body composition and level of fitness, as well as the types of activity the individual enjoys and who she or he is doing it with. Rather than following a preset prescription, test your own likes and dislikes and monitor how you feel about 15 minutes after finishing different workouts, from a brisk 30-minute walk to an hourlong spin class. Keep an actual log, rating your mood on a scale of one to ten to help you pinpoint what types of activities serve you best. About 15 minutes after working out most people report higher mood states, regardless of the type of activity involved.

The Best Way to Get Mental Health Benefits from Exercise

One of the most beneficial effects of exercise comes from doing sweat sessions regulary. In a patient population with mood disorder, three months of consistent exercise led to a decrease in depressive symptoms equal to what youd get from using common antidepressants. Making exercise a daily part of your routine can actually make you more resilient when life could be bringing you down. Exercise is one of the easiest things you can do to modulate your mood. You know that it works. Its just about finding that optimum prescription for yourself and making physical movement fun. Any type of activity—from walking to line dancing to going on a light jog—will help your overall mood and health. So try out several different types, varying where you do it and how fast you get your heart pumping. Your body—and brain—will thank you.

EXAMPLES

Combining exercise with other things you like can also make your spirits soar:

**If music is your jam, keep adding to your playlist so that you get a double brain chemical boost during exercise.

**If you get a rush from hanging out with friends, invite your besties along for a walk and talk session.

**If youve found that the meditative effects of thinking or repeating a mantra work for you, come up with a few phrases you can rely on to automatically usher in a good mood.

**If nature gives you an instant sense of calm, work in regular hikes or bike rides.

What Winter Workouts or Activity are You doing or taking part in to BOOST Your Mood through this Winter and Holiday Season?!!