Exercise offers many health benefits, including mood improvement and lower stress levels. Studies have supported this fact, including a 2009 study conducted by researchers at the University of Vermont. It concluded that moderate aerobic exercise can help promote a feeling of wellness for up to 12 hours after working out.
How it Works
The feeling of wellness following an aerobic workout is more than just a feeling of accomplishing something you know you should be doing each day. According to New Jersey City University, exercise stimulates the release of endorphins in your body, which boosts your mood and helps you feel better. Endorphins are brain chemicals that reduce the feeling of pain and stimulate a feeling of euphoria. Any type of aerobic activity can stimulate this brain response, such as walking briskly, jogging, elliptical training or cycling.
Psychological Benefits
Exercise does more than just boost your mood. It promotes an overall feeling of wellness, which includes lowered stress levels, lower anxiety and higher self esteem. The Mayo Clinic also mentions aerobic exercise as an effective treatment for depression. Exercise can also improve your quality of sleep, which can benefit your overall concentration and productivity the next day.
Exercise Recommendation
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends adults do a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week. For even greater health benefits, 300 or more minutes per week is the recommendation. This boils down to five 30 to 60 minute aerobic workouts per week. Moderate aerobic activity includes any activity that boosts your heart rate about double its resting rate and increases your breathing rate.
Other Health Benefits
The cardiovascular benefits of aerobic exercise are well documented, but there are other benefits as well. Consistent exercise promotes long-term wellness by helping you lose weight or maintain a healthy body weight. This helps improve your self-confidence, and it reduces the risk of many diseases that can be caused by obesity, including arthritis, osteoporosis and back pain. Essentially, it improves your life both physically and mentally.
Member Comments