Emotional Benefits of Exercise

Posted by: lucas on November 9, 2011 Under: weight loss exercise|

Eating a healthy diet is just one half of the weight loss equation, with regular exercise being an integral part of most weight loss programs that focus on burning fat the healthy and natural way. Exercise, however, doesn’t just benefit the body by burning calories, trimming fat, and building muscle: it also offers mental benefits that can lift your emotional state and leave you ready to face the challenges of every day life. The emotional benefits of exercise are well-documented, and they provide all the more reason to work out regularly and get in shape.

Emotional Benefits of Exercise: The Research

Scientists have long suspected that exercise has a positive benefit on our emotional states, and much research has been conducted into the matter. A study conducted in 2001 found that exercise actually improved the emotional states of depressed young adults. Of the 80 participants, 52 reported being depressed; after engaging in cardiovascular exercise for an hour, the depressed individuals were more likely to report a reduction in negative emotions such as anger and tension. Another investigation found that depressed individuals who engaged in regular exercise were less likely to relapse than those who didn’t exercise, and those with anxiety disorders also seem to derive great benefits from regular exercise.

Why does exercise cause positive changes in mental states? Scientists say that exercise actually causes the brain to release “pleasure chemicals” such as dopamine and serotonin—neurotransmitters responsible for a feeling of elatedness, relaxation, and happiness. The release of these chemicals evens helps us think more clearly and maintain more positive outlooks about life in general. It’s clear that there’s a sound scientific basis behind the idea that exercise is a great way to feel better about yourself.

Emotional Benefits of Exercise: Put it Into Practice

Any type of exercise will likely improve your mood, but heavy exercise such as lifting weights or hour-long cardio sessions might leave you too exhausted to reap the benefits. Physicians recommend splitting up exercise sessions if you’d like to extract the most emotional benefit from your workouts. Instead of an hour-long workout that leaves you barely able to continue your day, try splitting it into two sessions, one in the morning and one in the late afternoon or at night. These sessions should be at a moderate activity level—intense enough that you’re working up a sweat and breathing hard, but not so much that you’re ready to collapse by the end of the 30 minutes. While you’re exercising for the brain benefits, you might want to try meditation; it’s a great way to clear your mind before a big day (or at the end of one) and has a similar effect in improving your mood and allowing you to think more clearly.

The emotional benefits of exercise are especially important for weight loss programs: they have an immediate effect in that they promote positive emotional states, but they also work to reinforce the increased motivation and increased confidence that you feel when you lose weight. In many ways, exercise is a self-fulfilling activity: the more you exercise, the more you’ll want to continue doing it.