How working out helps improve your mood

We all feel good after a workout… But why? 

Endorphins

Exercise releases endorphins, which are like a natural painkiller. They increase your sense of wellbeing and reduce your perception of pain, they elicit a similar response in your body to morphine and make you happy.

Neurochemicals aside, a good workout can also boost your mood in a much more psychological way. Studies show that after a small amount of exercise, situations that were causing you worry and tasks that seemed to big to take on all don’t seem quite as scary. 

Outrun Depression

I think we’ve all seen more runners on the streets since lockdown began this year which is great! Running or walking means you’re getting outside, obtaining some all important exercise and can be surrounded by nature (being deprived of trees, grass and all things green has been shown to considerably damage your mental health). Harvard Medical School found that running for 15 minutes a day or simply walking for an hour decreases your risk of depression by 26%... Making it possible to outrun depression. 

Physical Benefits

Everyone knows that working out is good for your physical health such as: lower body fat, increased muscle and reduced risk of almost every disease known to man. But this has a knock on effect for our mental health. It’s no secret that we want to look good and exercise is the best way to look and feel more healthy. This is especially true if you have a particular fitness goal you’d like to achieve such as losing weight.

With all this in mind, is there any reason to get some small form of daily exercise in? It can be as simple as a short run, a walk, home workout or a visit to the gym. Try it and see how you feel.