By Mike Shaw, Founder, Institute for Performance Optimization and Self Empowerment (IPOSE)
We have so many explanations for our bad moods. Everything from frigid winter temperatures to the lingering effects of the pandemic. For those of us who battle with anxiety, depression, and stress, the luxury of a mood catalyst is not something we are afforded. Stressed out, somber, listless and worrisome are defaults. No cold rainy day needed. While great strides have been made in medication and therapy, there is one constant in the self-care movement…Exercise.
The positive effects of exercise are evident throughout all populations. This includes healthy people and those with emotional disorders, regardless of gender and age. For those with an elevated level of anxiety and depression, the benefits are especially significant due to the increased room for mood improvement.
Low to moderate intensity exercise targeting large muscle groups has shown the most significant improvement. These include swimming, cycling, step aerobics, jogging, and rhythmic dance. For beginners, as little as 15-30 minutes three times per week will garner positive results. Over a ten week period, consistent exercise of this style and duration can have life changing benefits.
The release of endorphins brought on by exercise causes a reduction in anxiety and depression. These acute effects can be felt after the very first workout session. The rise in body temperature and blood circulation in the brain can change the physiological reactivity to stress, resulting in feelings of improved self-worth. Exercising regularly empowers us to hone our self-efficacy, reinforcing our belief that we can accomplish goals and be successful in challenging situations. Many people experience increasing positive mood alteration in direct correspondence with the intensity of their workouts.
Endorphins, known as our body’s natural opioids, circulate in greater numbers during exercise. Additionally, during exercise our brains enjoy higher levels of feel-good chemicals like endocannabinoids, which act on the same receptors as the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
Think about it; after you’ve finished your work out, are you usually in a better mood? No need to answer. It’s a rhetorical question. Universally the answer is yes. Study after study shows that physical exercise creates an elevation in feelings of alertness, excitedness, and happiness (known as positive high activation). Additionally, exercise results in positive low activation; feeling calm, content, and relaxed.
If you’re wondering which is the most important element of your exercise routine, it’s you…showing up. As they say, the most important ability is “AVAILABILITY.” So, any exercise will help your mood. Increases in length and/or intensity can supercharge your mood for many hours post-workout.
Creating Your Workouts
In most people, aerobic exercise, such as spin class, triggers a more significant endorphin release than anaerobic workouts, such as weightlifting. But, if pumping iron is your thing, then definitely do it. The best exercise is the one you do consistently. And the key to consistency is choosing an exercise regimen that you enjoy. If you’re a total newbie to the world of exercise, start small. Take a walk. Attend a beginner’s yoga class. Try a home workout using just your body weight (squats, pushups, planks, etc.). It’s all good.
Your workout sessions should be at least 20 minutes in length. With that duration, you will begin to experience a significant boost in your mood. As your endurance builds, increase the length of each session. When you start getting into the 60-90 minute range, endorphin levels increase exponentially, often resulting in a sustained sense of peacefulness long after the workout has ended.
Our brains respond best to easy to moderate-intensity workouts. This means that when performing aerobic exercise, you should aim for your target heart rate to be 60-80% of your maximum heart rate. Max HR (beats per minute = 220-Your Age). High-intensity exercise can be great too. Especially if you really need to let loose and escape a stressful situation. As you gain experience, you will learn how to match your mood with your workout intensity.
You may find, as many people do, that outdoor exercise can be more beneficial for producing feelings of calm and freedom, while reducing feelings of frustration. If your schedule, the local weather and geography, and your preferred type of exercise allow it, take your workouts outdoors.
A case can be made for morning, afternoon or evening workouts. Flexibility in your schedule will go a long way toward staying consistent. Block out your workouts on your daily/weekly schedule, and then give yourself the leeway to change the time when necessary. This will help make your workouts your favorite time of day, no matter when they happen.
Leaning on his passion for achieving optimal performance, Michael Shaw has devoted his 30 year career to empowering his clients to develop the process mastery necessary for true self-fulfilment. Michael is the founder of The Institute for Performance Optimization and Self-Empowerment, specializing in breaking through performance ceilings, identifying limiting behavior and mental patterns, and utilizing highly intuitive language and listening skills to remove obstacles, illuminate launching pads, and empower you to thrive. For more training tips, nutrition plans, personal training, and speaking engagements: contact Michael at mikeshaw.1205fitness@gmail.com