A Natural High--The Mood Mending Benefits of Exercise

     Ah the runner抯 high. The second wind. That rush of energy and euphoria that keeps us coming back for more even when it hurts or its early or raining. You know, the brain抯 own natural drugs杄ndorphins, seratonin, norephinephrine? It抯 long been thought that to get that high, you need to exert yourself completely and for a long time, but new research shows that this isn抰 completely true. To get the sense of euphoria you need to work out for at least thirty minutes at 75 percent of your heart rate (to find this subtract your age from 220)杊owever, even moderate amounts of exercise can alter your mood, and health, for the better:

* The American College of Sports Medicine reports that 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise can clear depression, stress, and anger as well as psychotropic drugs

* When your cardiovascular system is in shape, your body receives 25 percent more oxygen at rest and 50 percent more oxygen during exercise朼ll of which has lasting health benefits杕ore oxygen means more energy, less exhaustion, and increased focus and mental agility.

* A regular exercise habit is also great for reducing insomnia. In one Standford University study, exercising three times a week for thirty minutes increased sleep in insomnia sufferers by one hour and decreased the time taken to fall asleep by one half.

* Exercise is good for the bones. Weight bearing workouts such as hiking, jogging, and weight training increase bone density and lower the risk of osteoporosis.

So you still want the maximum high for the minimum amount of work? The runner抯 high comes with intensity, so make sure to warm up and then exercise hard for a few minutes, go down to a moderate pace, and then when you feel close to being worn out, up the intensity again for a short time until you feel an increase in energy. Doing sprints or time trials are also a great way of increasing mental well-being and long hikes or bike rides can push you into feeling good for much longer than a runner抯 慼igh?would last.

While feeling good is a wonderful benefit of regular exercise, it抯 also important to remember that the euphoria comes from your body抯 attempt to block pain. So make sure that you ease into that exercise, warm up, and listen closely to your body to prevent overtaxing and injuring yourself.

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