Exercise, Happiness and Success

We all know the benefits of exercising on a regular basis.  Exercise tones your muscles, strengthens your bones, picks up your metabolism, enhances cardiovascular system health and manages bodyweight.  Plus, lots of other good things that affect your physical health.  Now we can add two more things to the list. 

A recent study found that exercising four or more times a week can make you happier and more successful in life.  The science behind the study points to certain brain chemicals that are increased during exercise.  These brain chemicals are associated with feelings of happiness, confidence, feeling capable and feeling less anxiety and stress. These brain chemicals even decrease physical pain.  One of the many neurotransmitter chemicals that the brain puts out during exercise is responsible for giving you the “feel good” feeling of happiness.  At the same time the brain sends other neurotransmitter chemicals that get rid of certain chemicals in your body that make you feel stressed or anxious. 

In the study cited above, the people who exercise four or more times per week were 50% happier and 48% more successful than people who did not exercise.

The pandemic coronavirus caused a lot of people to stop exercising due to the gym closures.  People who made a habit of going to the gym and working out everyday were suddenly not able to carry on with their routine.  Some people adapted and began a home program of walking, jogging, biking and calisthenics.  Others just suddenly stopped their exercise.  This may explain why depression rates increased during the pandemic (and waist lines). 

Gyms are open now and people are returning to their local gyms and starting back on their exercise programs.  This will definitely contribute to our mental wellbeing along with our physical wellbeing.  The other major benefit to exercising again on a regular basis is that exercise strengthens your immune system (which controls your health).  During the pandemic and flu season, it is vitally important to have a strong immune system.  That is why it is such a good thing that gyms are open.  We can exercise four or more times per week and strengthen our immune system, build good physical health and improve our mental wellbeing, by being happier, less stressed and anxious.

If you have concerns about going to the gym during this viral pandemic, call and ask your gym what precautions they are taking for your safety.  Mask wearing, equipment cleansing, hand sanitizing and distance between equipment will keep you safe from viral germs and allow you to enjoy the health benefits from going to the gym on a regular basis.

Pregnancy News:  A study from Cornell University found that women who ate foods that contain the nutrient choline during pregnancy had children demonstrated cognitive benefits.  The foods that contain choline are egg yolks, lean red meat, poultry, legumes, nuts and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower. Basically, health foods we should be eating anyway, especially during pregnancy.

Children’s Health News:  A recent study showed that only-children are at more risk of developing obesity then children with siblings. Oddly, the study pointed out that parents are to blame as only child parents tend to make less then healthy eating and beverage choices for their child  The study does not explain why this is.

Galloway, NJ 08205 (Smithville section)

Author

Dr J. Zimmerman, Chiropractor Dr. Zimmerman is a practicing chiropractor from Galloway, NJ with 30 years of chiropractic practice.