Exercise - A Miracle Treatment For Your Mood?

If we're lucky, most days are good days. Or even GREAT days!

But we’ve all had rough times, haven’t we? Some have them more than others, and it’s never a whole lot of fun.

I’m a huge believer in taking control of your happiness as much as possible through practicing good decision-making, optimism, mindfulness, gratitude, and other techniques, but every now and again a day comes around that just punches us right in the gut.

Unfortunately, some of us even suffer from more frequent (and more difficult to control) dips in mood due to conditions like anxiety and clinical depression. Some of these can have very powerful symptoms that even manifest physically, like drastically decreased energy and feeling achy all over, and it’s understandable that finding motivation to exercise under those circumstances would be especially difficult.

Bad days happen to everybody, and I think we all know how it feels to be sad, angry, anxious, or feel just kind of flat… I don’t know about you, but if I ever find myself feeling that way I can assure you that the very last thing I want to do is hit the gym. But before I look for another fix or treatment for my icky feelings, I always move my body.

I have been lucky enough in my life (so far) not to have had any run-ins with anxiety or depression, or any other mental health issues that have required treatment or clinical intervention, but I’ve definitely experienced days where I sure didn’t feel like myself.

However, I have some friends and clients who deal with things like that on a regular basis, and I can say from experience that a consistent exercise regimen for them (and for myself) has been an incredibly powerful force in maintaining a happier outlook on life, and better feelings in general for both body and mind.

So whether or not you’ve been diagnosed with a condition that can affect your mood, if you’re sad, mad, or really feeling anything south of happy-go-lucky, I hope to give you some reasons why I’m encouraging you to power through and get sweating to make for a more comfortable, joyful life :)

Exercise performed at a higher intensity is what’s responsible for the release of endorphins, which is what most of us usually think of when we consider why exercise makes us feel so good afterward. I often think of that as my short term “reward” for pushing extra hard during a workout - dig deep now to reap the benefits later!

But, now it’s known that you don’t have to push yourself to the brink in order to receive great benefits from exercise… Which is great news if you’re not feeling like you have enough juice to push through a gnarly burner in the gym!

Low-intensity exercise can actually improve brain function over time, by causing the release of growth factors that encourage new neuropathways to be formed in the brain, thus helping relieve depression. I’m no scientist, but this is some cool shit, right?

Not only that, but exercise of any kind can help you sleep better, which is one of my favorite effects. When I’m sleep-deprived, I struggle the most. And when I’m anxious or sad, I often have trouble sleeping which makes this a vicious cycle. I rely on exercise to help me tire out my body and mind if I’m having a hard time and need a reprieve - the sleep alone helps me cope with other challenges in my life and heal my body and spirit.

What I’ve learned is that no matter how yucky I feel, just doing SOMETHING always helps. Keep that in mind if you’re having trouble finding the energy, motivation, or a reason to begin. It’s a lot easier to continue than to start, so once you get over that initial hurdle it’s often downhill from there :)

A brisk walk outside in the fresh air, a little circuit of a few exercises at home, a jog with a loved one, an exercise video… It’s all good - pick something you enjoy, start small, and smile as your bad feelings start to dissipate.

If you can work up to moving your body for a sustained amount of time each day, you’ll be a healthier, happier human overall. Whether you have clinical issues or not, this is true for all of us - believing that exercise will help is half the battle, but keep your eyes on the prize!

Whatever you choose, keep it up! It’s important to make exercise a consistent part of your daily life to keep the effects coming. Pick something that you can manage, that you enjoy, and that you’ll keep returning to - or switch it up so you get a combination of that intense exercise high and the long-term effects of better brain performance, while never getting bored :)

Daily exercise is one of the best, cheapest (even free), least invasive protocols possible for the improvement of mental health. I know that exercise keeps me the happiest version of myself, because aside from improving my mood acutely if I need it, if I miss out on it for awhile I can definitely feel the effects and look forward to getting back into my routine.

Do you rely on exercise as part of your own personal happiness regimen? What kind of exercise makes you feel the best?

Please feel free to comment, upvote, or resteem if you found this interesting or helpful! :)