We all know the holiday season is an incredibly joyous time of year, but for most of us it can also be incredibly stressful. One of the best ways to cope with and combat stress is through regular exercise!!! Let exercise calm you down during the holiday season and the rest of the year as well!
Yes, exercise does more than keep your body strong, lean, and fit – it keeps us mentally and emotionally healthy as well! For many of us (myself included), exercise can even act like an anti-depressant! We all know that we feel better almost always after a trip to the gym – it’s as if our negative energy and daily stress literally releases from our bodies through each bead of sweat. And, more and more research is showing that the positive impact of exercise on our mental health is not just a coincidence!
While much of fitness research focuses on the physical and health benefits of exercise, there is an increasing amount of evidence demonstrating that exercise promotes wellness and mental health. For instance, researchers at Duke University studied people suffering from depression for 4 months and found that 60% of the participants that exercised for 30 minutes three times a week recovered from their depression without using antidepressant medication. This is the same percentage as for those who only used medication in their treatment for depression. I am by no means underestimating the ability of medication to assist in the treatment of depression, but the positive influence of exercise on our mental health is undeniable.
You don't have to be suffering from depression or mental health issues to gain the mood elevating benefits of exercise! Additional studies have shown that even short workouts of just 8 minutes can help lower sadness, tension and anger along with improving resistance to disease in mentally healthy people. So, even short bursts of activity can help you feel better - meaning you don't have to spend hours at the gym to experience mental health relief! Exercise has also been associated with boosting confidence as well as reducing anxiety and stress, all of which affect our psychological health and well-being.
Although research has yet to provide a definitive reason as for why exercise elevates our mood, both during and after, a strong theory suggests the connection is due to the body's natural release of endorphins. These are chemicals released by the brain as the body's natural painkiller, and can lead to an increase in feelings of happiness.
At the end of the day, do we really need to pinpoint an exact reason why exercise makes us feel better to lace up our sneakers? The truth is that most of us feel great after we work out, and that’s enough evidence to motivate me, especially in the midst of holiday season!
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