Psychological Benefits of Exercise

Intro:

Physical activity, in its many forms, has been shown to have many positive affects on the body and mind. The many benefits include: 1) helping to stimulate the mind, 2) increasing feelings of well being, 3) reducing cholesterol, 4) helping to regulate blood pressure, 5) reducing feelings of anxiety, 6) improving quality of life, 7) reducing symptoms of Alzheimer's and Rheumatoid Arthritis, and 8) reducing levels of visceral fat which lowers the risk of developing type II diabetes.

Many of the benefits of exercise will be discussed in the following pages as discovered in peer reviewed research studies. This paper will concentrate on the affect of exercise on the human mind and exactly how exercise helps to stimulate the brain and increase feelings of well-being. Many research applications have looked at the profound role serotonin plays in regulating mood and the affect exercise has on the body's ability to produce increased amounts of serotonin. Other research has looked at levels of phenylethylamine before and after exercise and has concluded that increased levels result in what many have termed the "runners high". This researcher believes that it is a combination of both serotonin and phenyethylamine that contribute to feelings of well being after periods of physical activity.

Body:

Regular physical activity may reduce depression and anxiety and improve mood. Exercising may even be linked with enhancing creativity and imagination. According to a study done on the affect of exercise on obese young women, exercise reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression and fosters improvements in mood and feelings of well-being. (4) In this study, 24 obese subjects completed a 26 week lifestyle modification program consisting of a hypocaloric (decreased calorie) diet in addition to moderate-intensity exercise. The subjects all had a BMI exceeding 30 but not exceeding 40. What is a BMI? BMI stands for body mass index. It is one of the main ways that the health industry determines if an individual is overweight. BMI is calculated by dividing a person's weight (in kilograms) by his or her height (in meters, squared). This can give a researcher an idea of body density or thickness. Higher BMI's have been correlated with all sorts of health risks. This study showed that not only did exercise and a hypocaloric diet have all sorts of positive affects on reducing the levels of visceral fat, and thus insulin resistance, it also had a positive affect on the subjects feelings of well being and mood.

Another study recently concluded the same findings. 92 subjects were recruited through the National Wheelchair Basketball association to complete this study. The study's objective was to find a positive correlation between physical activity and emotional well being. Of the 92 subjects who started the study, 48 subjects (13 women, 35 men) completed all phases of the study. The study concluded that no matter what else might have been going on in the subjects life, on days that they exercised the subjects had increased positive mood and decreased negative mood. (3)

The same thing was concluded in a recent study published in the Journal of Multiple Sclerosis. The study showed that after eight weeks of supervised resistance training on conventional gym equipment, the subjects had stronger muscles, could walk better, and reported less overall fatigue and disability. (6) This proved to be very empowering for the subjects in the study as they began to concentrate less on the illness and more on wellness. So not only did it have a physical impact, but it had a great emotional impact as well. Subjects reported a major decrease in depression as a result of increased physical activity.

Now that we've looked at numerous studies on exercise and it's mood enhancing ability. How is all this done? How does it all work? What kind of affect does exercise really have on the body? Well, brief periods of intense training or moderate aerobic workouts can raise the levels of chemicals such as endorphins, adrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine in the brain. These chemicals produce the feelings of pleasure many people feel after working out. A research study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine has shown that exercise may help improve the mood of people who are clinically depressed. (2) Many people who are depressed have low levels of serotonin and exercise can help boost these levels. This is the basic premise from which the pharmaceutical companies have based the majority of anti-depression medication research. Low serotonin levels equals depression. Increased serotonin levels equals increased well-being.

What is Serotonin? Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, which means it's a brain chemical responsible for carrying messages between cells, messages that enable us to think, to move, to perceive - to live. Under normal circumstances, a tiny 10mg circulate in the body. Yet if this amount drops, or the serotonin malfunctions, the effect can be profound. The body's organs and cells are in constant communication with each other. Special chemical couriers transport these messages, including hormones and neurotransmitters like serotonin. These messengers pass signals from one cell to another by interacting with special gate-keeper molecules known as receptors. Each messenger molecule is able to unlock and activate only one specific receptor type. Serotonin, however, has the power to unlock at least 14 different receptors. (1) Once the messenger has gained entry to the right receptor, that receptor triggers a series of responses within the cell, which may then release its own messengers to transmit the information to still more cells.

As previously stated, one of the most recognizable symptoms of malfunctioning serotonin is depression. In normal conditions, serotonin constantly balances and adjusts our moods. Sometimes it's appropriate to cry, sometimes we need to be cautious, sometimes we just can't help but smile and whatever the case, serotonin is the reason that we either cope or can't deal with a situation. When serotonin levels are low, so is our mood. And, when something bad occurs in our lives our brain responds by lowering serotonin activity. Interestingly enough, this also appears to work in reverse - low moods can lead to low serotonin levels.

Low serotonin levels can cause all sorts of upheaval on the body's ability to cope and respond to situations. This can lead to stress. Stress can lead to decreased wellness, which can lead to sleeplessness, higher pH levels,