I came across this article in Facebook and thought it would be a good idea to share it with you.
The article supports what I’ve been saying about exercise in general and is, I think, a perfect follow-up to my article on Walking.
One of the biggest benefits of regular physical activity is that it INCREASES HAPPINESS. I’m sure that those of you, who exercise regularly, be it walking, sprinting or resistance training will say, “so that’s why I feel great afterwards.”
The photo below is graphic proof.
What happens to your brain after a 20-minute walk?
You can see that significant changes are occurring in the brain on the right.
Endorphins, the “feel good” hormones, are released during and after exercise.
Your brain recognizes exercise as stress and tries to protect the body from this by releasing chemicals.
When you begin exercising and pressure starts building up in your heart, the body releases a protein called BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor). This protects but also repairs memory neurons in your brain. That’s why we feel relaxed and have a clearer view of things after exercising.
Simultaneously, endorphins are released in your brain. These minimize the discomfort of exercise, block the feeling of pain and give you that “feeling good” rush.
Isn’t this reason enough to get off that couch and rushes to the gym, or just go for a nice walk?
Your motivation should be to benefit from exercising, as put forth in previous articles, AND TO FEEL GREAT AFTERWARDS.
Now the downer; don’t do it to loose weight because you won’t be able to, if you don’t change your eating habits.
