Exercise Is Another Natural Mood Booster

I’ve known for a long time that when I’m in a funk, down in the dumps or just in a lousy mood, a quick 20 minute walk/jog or even 10 minutes on the treadmill or running up and down the stairs 5 times will help get me through the temporary blues. (I do admit, however, the stair piece doesn’t work so well.)  Now the experts are saying the mood boost associated with a moderate aerobic workout can last a long time ever after you take off your walking shoes.

I’m smiling to myself as I write this post because I’m thinking of all the time, money and energy spent on arriving at this conclusion and they could have just asked me!

But now it’s official, friends. But here’s something I didn’t know. I never really thought about it but I assumed that this boosted good feeling only lasted for a short time. Now we’re being told that rather than fading after an hour or so, the beneficial effects of physical activity on mood begin as soon as a person exercises and may last as long as 12 hours afterwards. “Post-exercise glow” were the words in the report presented May 2009 at the American College of Sports Medicine’s Annual Meeting. The research was carried out at the Massachusetts General Hospital’s Depression Clinical and Research Program.

Apparently, exercise helps to relieve stress by releasing endorphins and other good hormones that elevate our mood. What is of particular interest is that even in moderate amounts, exercise can be very helpful in preventing emotional problems. All of which is a very good thing because we face enough physical and mental challenges as we get older and can certainly do without the emotional glitches.

To your success at healthy aging.

Ruthan Brodsky

Tagged with: exercise • healthy aging • healthy aging success • mood booster

Filed under: Mind and Body

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