Is laughter really the best medicine?
Laughter, is it really the best medicine?
Some would argue that it is and I'd say that it's definitely up there as something that's needed daily in our lives. I know I feel better after a good laughing fit, you probably do to. I'd also state that exercise is also in the top things that we can use to make ourselves feel better, physically and mentally.
Let's take last Thursday for instance. I got home from work, and to be frank, I've been in better moods. Not sure why I wasn't 100% of my normal happy self, but I wasn't. It had been several days since the last time on my bike. Thursday is my normal riding day, so I got dressed and started thinking about my ride. As soon as I pulled my cycling shorts on, I started feeling better immediately. Hadn't done anything, but just thinking about getting on the bike started a nice little mood lift. 43 minutes and 10 miles later, I was a brand new man. I felt much better.
We all know that exercise releases endorphins, that's part of the mental relief that we get from it. Physically there are lots of benefits too, but I want to focus more on the mental aspect of exercise benefits outside of weight loss, flexibility, and the like.
ENDORPHINS - what are they and how do they help?
Endorphins are produced by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus in vertebrates during strenuous exercise, and they resemble the opiates in their abilities to produce analgesia and a sense of well-being. Endorphins work as "natural pain relievers", whose effects may be enhanced by other medications.
Thus ends our science class for today. Long story short, they're nature's feel good medication. We all produce it under certain circumstances. Exercise can help our bodies do this, for free. What happens when we don't do this? Bad moods result. Some people also have conditions where they don't produce enough of this on their own and that's a whole different issue. Low endorphin levels can lead to bad moods, low productivity and worse, depression. Weather you are diagnosed with clinical depression or not, exercise can effect your daily moods immensely.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression-and-exercise/MH00043
http://exercise.about.com/cs/exercisehealth/a/depression.htm
These articles have two things in common. A list of benefits, including confidence building, sense of accomplishment, distraction from what's going on in your head. All things we need. It's amazing how just a little bit of accomplishment can increase your confidence in yourself. That boosts your mood, and helps you to feel better in an everyday basis. You don't have to be a championship bodybuilder, 100 yard dash recordholder, local cycling criterium winner to be successful in exercise. Just decide to find the time to elevate your mood and you'll be successful. Use that as a starting point to other successes.
Don't you think that spending 20 or 30 minutes a day is worth all the benefits you can reap from that time?
Some would argue that it is and I'd say that it's definitely up there as something that's needed daily in our lives. I know I feel better after a good laughing fit, you probably do to. I'd also state that exercise is also in the top things that we can use to make ourselves feel better, physically and mentally.
Let's take last Thursday for instance. I got home from work, and to be frank, I've been in better moods. Not sure why I wasn't 100% of my normal happy self, but I wasn't. It had been several days since the last time on my bike. Thursday is my normal riding day, so I got dressed and started thinking about my ride. As soon as I pulled my cycling shorts on, I started feeling better immediately. Hadn't done anything, but just thinking about getting on the bike started a nice little mood lift. 43 minutes and 10 miles later, I was a brand new man. I felt much better.
We all know that exercise releases endorphins, that's part of the mental relief that we get from it. Physically there are lots of benefits too, but I want to focus more on the mental aspect of exercise benefits outside of weight loss, flexibility, and the like.
ENDORPHINS - what are they and how do they help?
Endorphins are produced by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus in vertebrates during strenuous exercise, and they resemble the opiates in their abilities to produce analgesia and a sense of well-being. Endorphins work as "natural pain relievers", whose effects may be enhanced by other medications.
Thus ends our science class for today. Long story short, they're nature's feel good medication. We all produce it under certain circumstances. Exercise can help our bodies do this, for free. What happens when we don't do this? Bad moods result. Some people also have conditions where they don't produce enough of this on their own and that's a whole different issue. Low endorphin levels can lead to bad moods, low productivity and worse, depression. Weather you are diagnosed with clinical depression or not, exercise can effect your daily moods immensely.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression-and-exercise/MH00043
http://exercise.about.com/cs/exercisehealth/a/depression.htm
These articles have two things in common. A list of benefits, including confidence building, sense of accomplishment, distraction from what's going on in your head. All things we need. It's amazing how just a little bit of accomplishment can increase your confidence in yourself. That boosts your mood, and helps you to feel better in an everyday basis. You don't have to be a championship bodybuilder, 100 yard dash recordholder, local cycling criterium winner to be successful in exercise. Just decide to find the time to elevate your mood and you'll be successful. Use that as a starting point to other successes.
Don't you think that spending 20 or 30 minutes a day is worth all the benefits you can reap from that time?
Great Blog Michael! sound like we are some what the same. I just need to get those shorts on and i start to feel better. Try that jumping squat workout it killed me today. :)
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