1. Exercise Improves Your Mood:

You’ve heard of the “runner’s high.” It’s what happens when runners experience a surge of chemicals that are released by the body. The chemicals are called endorphins. They react with the receptors in your brain and accomplish a few wonderful side effects.

One side effect is that you feel less pain. The other is that you begin to feel an intense state of calm. The effects are often described as euphoric and are similar to the feelings generated from the drug morphine. You feel positive and energized. And the good news is that unlike morphine, endorphins aren’t addictive.

Exercises that Improve Your Mood:

Moderate exercise is best. Low intensity exercise doesn’t tend to release enough endorphins to create a significant change. However, low intensity exercise has other mood boosting benefits so don’t discount it. High intensity exercise can deplete your energy initially and negate the effect of the endorphins. So what’s a moderate exercise? Consider swimming, playing tennis, or low impact aerobics.

Tip – Pay attention to how you feel when you’re exercising and afterwards too. If you feel exhausted and tired, then you may be exercising too hard. Look for a moderate level of intensity where you feel energized when you’re done.

2. Regular Exercise Boosts Your Energy:

Exercise shouldn’t make you tired. It should be something that you do each day that leaves you feeling good both physically and mentally. In fact, exercise forces your body to create more energy. Literally.

Your cells create more mitochondria; they’re the little organelles that create energy in your cells. The more aerobic exercise you enjoy, exercise that uses oxygen to create energy, the more mitochondria your body makes. It actually creates more available energy.

Example of Exercises that Create Energy:

Want to receive maximum energy benefits? Enjoy low to moderate intensity exercises.

For example, yoga is a low intensity exercise, as is golf or hula hooping. Housework also falls under the category of “low intensity” exercise but it’s not much fun.

Tip – Try to find a handful of moderate or low intensity exercises to enjoy.

For example, attend yoga three days a week and walk the other four days.