Exercising the Blues Away

I start my post off today by asking a few simple questions, why do Americans continue to take part in behaviors that are bad for their bodies? For example many people in our country still smoke cigarettes.  Why would people choose the path of smoking cigarettes?   Many people in our country are obese and avoid physical fitness.  I wonder why don’t Americans exercise more? And, why is it so hard to change these negative habits and adopt new ones? Could this type of ignorance play a role in Americans feeling unhappy? In an article titled, "An Exercise in Happiness" posted on the Happy Magazine website, kinesiologist  and certified strength training coach, Celine Saroyan claims, we can exercise our way to happiness.

Most people have heard of the mood neurotransmitters, dopamine and serotonin, the happy chemicals in our brain. These neurotransmitters are released during exercise, notes Saroyan.  In her article, Saroyan adds, that exercise also releases  growth hormones, which increase the supply of blood and oxygen to the brain, thus, releasing powerful mood-enhancing endorphins. 

         Saroyan goes on to explain, that endorphins are measureable, act as the body’s natural painkiller and start releasing soon after one starts to exercise. These endorphins that our body produces naturally, have four key affects on the body; pain relief, stress reduction, anxiety reduction and immune system enhancement. The perfect prescription for happiness it seems. According to Saroyan, it doesn’t matter the level of exercise we engage in, our bodies are still going to release these endorphins, which promote a better mood. Saroyan proposes however, that moderate levels of exercise, has the greatest effect on serotonin and dopamine levels.

Saroyan concedes, that the benefits of exercise can also have an effect on the mind/body connection as well.  We feel good about our physical looks and accomplishment associated with consistent exercise, implies Saroyan.  Likewise, Saroyan contends, that by keeping appointments with the gym and our workouts, we take the time needed to take care of our bodies and in turn feel better about ourselves.

 And finally, according to Saroyan, a compelling study by biochemistry scientists at Princeton, discovered, that exercise can also stimulates the creation of new brain cells, and furthermore, suggest these new brain cells may be more resistant to stress than our old ones. This makes me wonder, how resistance to stress could raise our levels of happiness?


There seems to be a recurring theme of self in my search for happiness thus far, Dan Buetter, author of Thrive, refers to 'Self' as  being one of the six domains of happiness. When encouraging  exercise and it's link to happiness,  Saroyan seems to be expressing that the self awareness of our bodies might bring more joy. I have been exercising for all my life, I can feel the endorphins swirling around my body. I  know that when I focus on myself and my needs in terms of exercise,  I tend to be happier for it. 

I end this post with the simple idea of engaging in exercise more often as perhaps one answer to finding more joy in our lives. Exercise may not be the end- all cure for unhappiness, but it just might make us look and feel better during our relentless search to find happiness,  and hey, that's not so bad, is it?  

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