Guest Post: Did You Know – Your Elliptical is a Natural Mood Booster and Anti-Depressant
Here at ellipticalcoupons.com we want you to not only enjoy the buying process of your elliptical machine, but to enjoy using it just as much. Exercising on your elliptical can create that “runners high” felling my the release of endorphins. Our guest author today is describes this “runners high” and how your elliptical can become a natural mood booster and anti-depressant!
Did You Know – Your Elliptical is a Natural Mood Booster and Anti-Depressant
Is someone were to ask, “Would you like to be in a better mood on a day to day basis?” your answer would certainly be “Yes!” Everyone would choose to have their spirits lifted if all it took were a snap of their fingers. Regretfully, snapping your fingers isn’t a mood booster, but engaging in regular aerobic exercise is.
Most of us know that aerobic exercise strengthens our heart and helps burn calories, but not many people know that aerobic exercise is a natural way to improve mood. In fact, many marathon runners report that they become addicted to running because of what they call a “runners high.” 1 But you don’t need to run a marathon to get a “runners high.” Aerobic exercise on an elliptical, in the comfort of your own home, will also do the trick.
You Can Become Addicted to Exercise?
More is going on in your brain when you exercise than you would expect. Strenuous aerobic exercise releases serotonin. 2 Serotonin is one of your brain’s many neurotransmitters. Neurons in your brain use neurotransmitters to communicate with each other. Different neurotransmitters have different functions. They regulate everything from your ability to learn and remember, to your levels of energy and mood. Serotonin has been dubbed the “feel good” neurotransmitter, because of its ability to regulate mood.
Many of you have heard of ecstasy. Ecstasy is an illegal drug which has a profound effect on our brain’s serotonin system. When users ingest ecstasy, the neurons in their brain that make serotonin, go into hyper drive, and flood their brains with serotonin. This gives ecstasy users an overwhelming sense of well-being. This also makes chronic ecstasy use extremely dangerous. Our brains stop producing serotonin without the drug, and serotonin receptors become damaged due to their enormous work load. Because of this, many long-term users are unable to feel happy on their own until their brain recovers, which takes years in some cases.
Luckily, aerobic exercise is a natural way of increasing our brain’s serotonin production. You don’t have to worry about your brain becoming reliant on a drug, because you aren’t taking one. Also, the amount of extra serotonin being released is miniscule when compared to ecstasy. Your serotonin receptors can handle the increased workload just fine. Like ecstasy, you can get a “high” from aerobic exercise. Most people barely notice it, or attribute it to something other than their exercise. As for becoming addicted, unless you engage in ridiculous amounts of exercise, like marathon runners do, you likely won’t form an addiction.
They're experiencing some "runner's high"
Humans aren’t the only ones who get a “runners high”. Scientists have observed similar reactions in the brain of many other animals. They theorize that the “runners high” is a reward system designed to keep animals mobile. Neanderthals date back 30,000 years. For most of that time, the only mode of transportation humans had been their feet. And let’s be honest, life wasn’t easy 1,000 years ago. I imagine it was even more difficult 30,000 years ago. Aerobic exercise was necessary for hunting and gathering, and was a natural way for early humans to release stress and improve mood. They believe that early humans without this reward system were less motivated to perform necessary survival activities.
Are There Other Natural Ways To Release Serotonin?
There are many natural nootropics which slightly elevate serotonin levels. For example, Rhodiola Rosea is a flower that inhibits the breakdown of serotonin in the brain. Instead of causing your brain to produce more serotonin, it keeps serotonin receptors from breaking it down as quickly. But the result is similar, a slightly elevated mood. Click here for an introduction to nootropics.
Resources
1. ABC News, Exercise Addicts Can Blame Their Brains: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MensHealthNews/story?id=8430744
2. Abstract, How to increase serotonin in the human brain without drugs: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2077351/