So can exercise really effect mood? Brain imaging studies indicate that exercise stimulates the growth of neurons in certain brain regions damaged during depression. And animal studies have found that physical exertion increases the production of brain molecules that can improve connections between nerve cells and act as a natural antidepressant. So why don’t we all just exercise, although exercise provides the feel good effect we don’t actually feel it until approximately 30 minutes after exercise has started. Unfortunately prior to that we have to:
And the thought of all this leads to… the excuses:
Sound familiar? Don’t worry you’re not alone, a university of Bristol-led study found that 80% of people failed to meet the government target of taking part in moderate exercise at least 12 times in a four week period. In fact 1.5 million people fail to do even 20 minutes of exercise a day. So I guess the real question is how do we beat the system and make exercise easy, fun and a priority. Simple, here’s four easy points (aka the fantastic four) you need to do if you want to live a better quality of life: 1. Don’t get a Goal, Get a S.M.A.R.T Goal! 2. Buddy up! 3. Exercise anywhere!! 4. Everybody needs me time. 2% of your day, 2% you can dedicate to working on yourself entirely. That 2% that everybody needs. So what we really need to do is stop looking for a time or a slot to fit it in and make a time, however short and pointless it may seem, anything is better than nothing, and your body will thank you for it. Total Fitness |