Benefits of exercise to conquer depression
When you are lying on your couch the last thing you want to do is exercise, but I'm here to tell you that it is all worth it. Just like anything in life in the beginning you need to make an effort and just start. For years I wanted to walk in the morning, and I was the only obstacle in my way. There is the door and then the road behind it. All you have to do is open the door and walk through it.
Here are 7 benefits to why you should make exercise a daily habit:
- It makes you happy
Beyond the (potential) mood-lifting effects of fresh air and scenery, evidence suggests that pounding the pavement can also change the way our brains work to make us happier, or even stave off depression. “Exercise is as good as any anti-depressant I know”, Ratey claims.
December 2007, scientists from Yale University wrote in the journal Nature Medicine that regular exertion affect the hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for mood. Test on mice showed that exercise activated a gene there called VGF, which is linked to a “growth factor” chemical involved in the development of new nerve cells. Tests show that this brain activation lifts a person’s mood. Scientists are now working on a drug that mimics the effects of the VGF gene to market it as an alternative to conventional antidepressants.
Studies have shown exercise increases your endorphins levels. The leading chemical that makes a person happy. See how exercise affects mood in this experiment performed by Researchers in the UK. There are 80 participants, regular gym goers who were asked to fill out a questionnaire on how they were feeling before and after 60 minutes of exercise. Improved mood was observed as a result.
- It gives you energy.
I often felt tired after a day of work and dragging my feet to the gym. In the end of an hour I was feeling re-born, with energy to move mountains. But the only way to experience that is having the courage to overcome the feeling of tiredness.
- It combats stress.
We respond to stress in the same way our ancestors did – by adopting a “fight or flight” response. Adrenalin and other hormones are released into our bloodstreams and our muscles are primed for response. Stress slows down the gastrointestinal system and reduces appetite, and can overexcite the brain, fuzzing our thought. By responding to or anticipating stress with physical activity (30 minutes on a treadmill, say, or 30 lengths of the pool), blood flow to the brain in increased, allowing the body to purge the potentially toxic by-products of stress. According to Ratey, exercise also helps in the long term. “It builds up armies of antioxidants such as Vitamin E and C” he says. “These help brain cells protect us from future stress.”
- It primes your brain for learning.
“Exercise doesn’t make you smarter, but what it does do is optimize the brain for learning.” Physical activity boosts the flow of blood to the part of the brain that is responsible for memory and learning, promoting the production of new brain cells.
- It eliminates aggression.
Exercise does more than “get it out of your system,” says John Ratey. “People assume exercise reduces aggression by burning energy. In fact, exercise changes your brain so you don’t feel aggressive in the first place.”
The frontal cortex is the part of the brain that decides whether you throw a punch or take something on the chin. Reduced activity in the region, a trauma or abnormal development can result in an inability to control violent urges. “This area makes us evaluate the consequences of our actions”, Ratey says. Exercise increases activity in that area, boosting our rational thought, which makes us less likely to lash out.
- It boosts your memory.
According to Ratey and other scientists in the field, a good workout does much to boost recall, especially as we clock up the years. “When we’re exercising, we’re using nerve cells in the brain which help build up what I call brain fertilizer,” he says. Ratey is talking about new research that suggests exercise increases blood flow to the part of the brain responsible for memory and improves its function.
- It can reduce addiction.
Research by British scientists suggests that as little as five minutes of brisk walking can reduce the intensity of nicotine withdrawal symptoms. In the tests, researches asked participants to rate their need for a cigarette after various types of physical exertion. Those who had exercised reported a reduced desire to smoke. “If we found the same effects in a drug, it would immediately be sold as an aid to help people quit smoking,” Adrian Taylor, the study’s lead author of the University of Exeter, said last year. The principle is that exercise can stimulate production of the mood enhancing hormone dopamine, which can in turn, reduce smokers’ dependence on nicotine.
How much do you need?
The mainstay of exercise is simple, brisk walking, Professor Ratey says. You’ll feel the benefit even from a 30-minute walk. “That’s what people need to be doing at a minimum, ideally four to five times per week. If you want to do more, then great.” Professor Ratey also recommends interval training – really pushing yourself hard for between 20 and 30 seconds while running, cycling or swimming, so that you’re momentarily exhausted. Do, say, two minutes of walking, 30 seconds’ sprinting, then two minutes of walking again. It doesn’t have to be a lot for a long time, but you will really notice the difference.
P.S. Make exercise your daily habit to improve your happiness levels. See above for all the benefits you'll be getting by adding this one thing to your day.