Thursday, July 10, 2008

Gym as a Happy Pill

Someone made a remark yesterday about how much happier they have been in the past few days because they have been back to gym. I was wondering if this was due to the fact that they were back at gym and their eyes could get a good workout, or if it was a chemical reaction that really made them "feel good".

Now we all know that endorphins, which are chemicals we make in our bodies when we exercise, can help to counteract depression. The problem is endorphins are released during long, continuous workouts, when the level of intensity is between moderate and high, and breathing is difficult.

So my conclusion is that I don't think people feel good because of any chemical reaction or release of endorphins. I believe the "good" feeling is more to do with a result. The psychological fact that we are going to gym, and doing something about our health. The interaction with other people in the gym. The excitement of what is going to happen today in the spinning studio (nothing exciting last night Tristan), and of course for some it is the fact that they will exercise their eyes again and get some mental stimulus.

Whatever the reason for people feeling good after a gym workout, let it rain down and keep us all in high spirits. That we we are less likely to start arguments and we become a less aggressive nation. SEND EVERYBODY TO GYM FOR FREE!!!!!!!

2 comments:

Tristan said...

That picture is GROSS!

Check out this article, it says that moderate and regular exercise is all that's neeeded to improve moods, even though experts say that intense anaerobic exercise is needed to achieve the psychological boost...

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,197466,00.html

JCLL said...

That article says exactly what I said....Its not necessarily endorphins that create the good feeling, but the workout does make you feel better...

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