The magic “feel good” pill!

Have you ever skipped a gym session because you were feeling “down”, “crappy” or just plain tired? I know I used to. Then I realized that no matter how bad I felt before exercise, I always felt better once my workout was over.

Exercise has many health benefits – it helps to control body weight, improves cardiovascular health, increases bone density and muscular strength – but the benefit that makes the biggest difference to my daily life is how great it makes me feel.

That’s because exercise is proven to have a positive effect on your mood. It helps you feel more energized, improves your sleep, relieves tension and helps you deal with anger better. In short, exercise helps you “feel good”.

The textbook Psychology of Physical Activity states that, “the greatest positive changes in mood following exercise are experienced by the people who feel the worst prior to exercise.”

So the next time you’re “feeling down”, don’t use it as an excuse not to exercise. Instead, use it as THE REASON to exercise.

Depression and Anxiety

Exercise is actually used to help treat anxiety and depression. Psychology of Physical Activity states that for people who suffer from anxiety, the positive feeling that exercise provides starts approximately five minutes after their exercise session ends, and lasts between four to six hours. For people who suffer from anxiety, more positive mood benefits are associated with aerobic activity.

For people who live with mild depression, both aerobic and non-aerobic physical activities have been found to elicit positive effects in the individual’s mood. The more regularly the person exercises, the better the results. For clinical depression, individuals who see the best results are those who treat their disorder with both medication and exercise.

Mental ability and social wellbeing

You might be surprised to know this, but exercise also helps to improve your mental performance. This is especially true for people who exercise on a regular basis. The Psychology of Physical Activity states that “exercise may not have a meaningful impact on cognition when it is administered in acute bouts, but exercise that is administered as a chronic treatment to produce fitness gains, may be useful intervention for enhancing cognitive abilities.”

The feeling of being mentally sluggish or slow can have negative effects on self-esteem. Conversely, feeling “on the ball” and alert can have a positive effect on your mood – making you feel smart, competent and “needed” on a professional level. 

Exercising can also be a great way to meet new people, maintain current friendships and productively fill free time. Loneliness can breed more loneliness. Instead of staying at home and watching TV, join a dance class or a local sports team. If you already have as many friends as you can handle, use going for a run or a bike ride as a way to visit with friends without relying on traditional modes of interacting like drinking and eating.

So when you’re having one of those “worst weeks ever” and all you want is to relax and eat cake, remind yourself how good you feel after a workout. Call a friend and go to a yoga class, grab your dog and go for a jog, or go to a group class and meet new people. Just do something active. Afterwards, if you still feel like you need to relax in a bath or on the sofa, go for it. After all, you’ve earned it!