Why Exercise Makes You Happy

Have you ever heard of a "runner's high"? That is an expression which describes a euphoric feeling that exercise enthusiasts often enjoy after they workout. This feeling is what keeps many devoted exercisers coming back for more.

This post workout feeling of euphoria is typically attributed to endorphins, which are natural painkillers that are actually similar in structure to the drug morphine, which stimulate activate opioid receptors in the brain, to help to minimize pain.

Endorphins are linked to your body's reward circuits as well and are associated with other feel-good activities, such as maternal behavior, eating, drinking or having sex.

There is only one problem with this theory.

Endorphins Can't Cross Your Blood-Brain Barrier:

Most studies have measured endorphin levels in the blood during exercise. This isn't indicative of the endorphin levels in the brain, because endorphins can't cross the blood-brain barrier.

So while exercise may increase blood levels of endorphins, it's the endorphins in your brain that would make you feel good and research hasn't proven that exercise increases brain levels of endorphins.

The idea that endorphins cause the runner's high has been around for decades. CNN reported that research has shown that endorphin levels might not increase in your body until you've exercised for a full hour. If that is the case, why you can still feel euphoric after a very short and intense workout, such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT)?

Some research suggests endorphins are only produced during anaerobic exertion, such as HIIT or intense weight training and not during typical aerobic exertion unless you exercise for about an hour.

What does increase in your brain following exercise is a neurotransmitter called anandamide, sometimes known as the "bliss compound".

The Bliss Compound May Be Involved in the Runner's High:

Anandamide is a neurotransmitter produced in your brain, which temporarily blocks the feelings of pain and depression. A deficiency is associated with increased levels of anxiety and stress.

Anandamide is also found in chocolate and is thought to be one reason why eating chocolate may give you a boost in your mood.

In relation to exercise, anandamide levels are known to increase during and following exercise. Anandamide may also be involved in increasing a protein called Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF).

In your brain, BDNF not only preserves existing brain cells, it also activates brain stem cells to convert into new neurons and effectively makes your brain grow larger.

Exercise Also Boosts Serotonin, Norepinephrine and Your Body's Stress Response:

A study by Princeton University researchers revealed that exercising creates new excitable neurons, along with new neurons designed to release the GABA neurotransmitter, which inhibits excessive neuronal firing. The result is to help to induce a natural state of calm.

Commonly prescribed anti-anxiety drugs like Ativan, Xanax and Valium, actually exert a calming effect in this same manner, by boosting the action of GABA. The mood-boosting benefits of exercise occur both immediately after a workout and continue on in the long term.

Exercise also boosts levels of potent brain chemicals, such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. This may also help to buffer some of the negative effects of stress.

Exercise Is Scientifically Proven to Benefit Symptoms of Depression:

Exercise is one of the most effective prevention and treatment strategies for depression. One study found that 30-minute aerobic workouts done three to five times a week, cut depressive symptoms by 50% in young adults.

As you can see, exercise is of much more benefit than once thought.

If you are suffering from anxiety or depression, talk to your doctor about exercise. Don't decide to get off of any prescribed medication on your own. Suddenly stopping medication may significantly increase your anxiety and depression and may produce a dire consequence.

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