Although not everyone wakes up whistling each morning, some people never seem to put a cheery spin on anything.
If you feel down in the dumps occasionally, chances are you know the reason for the slump and you also know that you’ll probably snap out of it soon. In the meantime, exercise will help lighten your mood.
Exercise has been shown to reduce anxiety and stress, improve memory, and increase a sense of well-being. As if that’s not enough, aerobic exercise seems to enhance creativity, quite independent of its effect on mood. Why should something so simple have such a positive effect? Researchers don’t know. Theories include a regaining control of one’s body, altering chemical substance in the brain, or elevating body temperature, which could have an effect on the brain.
How much exercise is enough? Two of five times a week for 30 to 40 minutes, plus 5 to 10 minutes each of warm up and cool-down is recommended.
If negative feelings seems to go on and on without a light at the end of the tunnel, however, you may be suffering from depression. Consider talking with you doctor if you’ve lose interest in things you used to enjoy; your appetite or weight has changed dramatically in a short time; you feel tired all the time; or you have problems concentrating, thinking, or making decisions.
Treatment will not only give you a bright outlook on life, it may help improve your health, as well.
Depression has been identified as a major risk factor for heart disease, and studies from Stanford University show a strong relationship between depression and breast cancer.
Although therapy and/or medication can for the most part relive depression, an even lower-tech solution can often do the trick. Recent evidence shows that aerobic exercise may be as effective as psychotherapy and medications in treating mild to moderate depression, and is even more effective when used in conjunction with conventional therapies.
Australian researchers found that two one-hour exercise sessions a week for six week significantly alleviated feelings of depression among depressed women, and also elevated moods in non-depressed women.
Adapted from New Choices article by Rita Watson, Copyright 2007 Watson