How exercise makes you happier

November 18th, 2015

There’s no doubt that exercise has benefits. Not only can it improve your health and appearance, but it can also enhance your mood and even make you a happier person. Just how exactly does this happen? Here are a number of proven ways exercise can boost your spirits and help you find your smile.

Boost dopamine levels

Ever heard of dopamine? Well, it's a feel-good chemical that naturally exists in the human body. This chemical is the same one that’s present in opiates and drugs such as heroin. So if our bodies already have this chemical within them, how do we produce more of it? You guessed it - exercise. Exercise is an excellent way to turbocharge your brain’s dopamine production - and when you have more dopamine in your brain, you’re naturally happier.

Reduce stress

Want a better stress reduction method than punching or screaming into a pillow? While both those methods for coping with high stress levels can help you release some negativity and pent-up frustration, exercise can release even more, since it has you burning up more energy for a longer duration. Of course, this isn’t the only way a hard workout reduces stress. When you exercise, you are literally creating physical stress in the body. And because of this, your body adapts to this higher-stress level, which makes it easier for you to handle the daily pressures you encounter at work or in your personal life.

Exercise can also help alleviate stress in other ways. Anyone who’s ever gone for a run, or hit the gym after a stressful day, knows that both these activities can make you feel better. The reason is that they allow you to clear your head, helping you to forget the source of your stress and instead focus your mind on the task at hand. And the more you feel the burn in your muscles or are gasping for air, the easier it will be to completely forget what’s bothering you, or even think a way out of your problems.

Improve your social life

If you’re suffering from a poor social life, exercise is almost certain to make it better. When you exercise, there are loads of opportunities to socialize. You can mingle with those at the gym, in an exercise class, or simply with a good friend as your workout buddy. Better yet, all of these activities will get you out of the house, ensure you're around other people, and even give you the opportunity to make new friends. What’s not to love about that?

Sleep better

Numerous studies have shown that exercise can not only improve the quantity of your sleep, but also the quality. And since almost everyone has experienced a night tossing and turning, we all know first hand how a bad night’s slumber can cause you to feel grumpy and irritable the next day. So undoubtedly, a good night’s rest can make a tremendous difference in your happiness.

Increase confidence

With the ability to do everything from improve posture to tighten and tone your body and even shed pounds, exercise improves your appearance. And when you look good, you’re likely to be more self-confident. So if you’re searching for a way to score a date with the local gym hottie, or turn some heads at a nightclub, get your exercise on! You’ll feel much more comfortable starting up a conversation with a sexy stranger when you look and feel great.

Better your brain

As we get older, our brains don’t function like they did in our teens and twenties. Cognitive decline sets in and your brain stops being quite as sharp. It’s an inevitability at some stage, but there are ways in which we can reduce the degree to which this happens. How? Well, of course one of the answers is exercise. Studies have shown that exercise can boost your brain power in various ways, including creating new brain cells, enhancing memory, and making it easier to pick up information and learn new skills.

Ready to soak up all the benefits of exercise, and become your happiest, healthiest you? Get in touch with us today, and we’ll be happy to provide you with the resources and motivation you need to make it possible.

Published with permission from FitnessAdvisory. Source.


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