What happens to our brains when we exercise and why it makes us happier

Exercising and healthy living habits have been a big deal around here lately. If you have been following our STAR newsletter, you will have learned that our clients are all about juicing and exercising. Our clients have been experiencing substantial health benefits since. Our client, Doug has lost 40 pounds, and Tom who had serious arthritis have been able to gain muscle strength back into his body.

So what exactly happens to our brains when we exercise?

1. It releases happy chemicals into your brain – a chemical, Dopamine, is released in your brain when you exercise. Dopamine is why you feel happy and necessary for all feelings of pleasure and happiness. The more you exercise, the more dopamine is released and as a result, you are happier!

2. It makes you less stressed out. – Exercising alleviates your daily worries. Exercising does induce a low level form of stress, but that is a good thing. Because your body has been used to handling stress when you exercise, it will be able to handle life’s stressors, helping your body find a way to alleviate it.

3. It energizes you. – Finding energy and time to exercise is one of the many reasons why we don’t, but guess what, if you can muster the energy to incorporate a small workout in your day, you will feel more energized for the reset of the day. Start by doing walks, then increase the frequency, pace or path difficulty, and you will eventually find that you have more time in the day because you are more energized.

4. It boosts your confidence. – Let’s be honest, when we feel good about ourself, it shows. We are always able to be at our best when when we are the happiest. Exercise can help you feel happier, but also stronger, fitter and as a result, boosting your confidence and self-esteem.

5. It fights insomnia. – I’m sure we all know how a well-rested sleep is important to our well-being, so for those who are having trouble falling or staying asleep, exercise might be the perfect remedy.

If  this isn’t enough to motivate you, download a fitness app that helps monitor your development, or find a buddy in your neighbourhood to do exercises with. You don’t need to run a marathon to feel like you’re exercising, anything to keep your heart rate up would be a great start!