Does exercising make us happier?

Does exercising make us happier? Really? Let’s check the facts hidden behind this common wisdom.

An article from James Vlahos published in the New York Times on 12 Apr 2011, reported that, over a lifetime, the unhealthful effects of sitting add up. Alpa Patel, an epidemiologist at the American Cancer Society, tracked the health of 123,000 Americans between 1992 and 2006. The men in the study who spent six hours or more per day of their leisure time sitting had an overall death rate that was about 20 percent higher than the men who sat for three hours or less. The death rate for women who sat for more than six hours a day was about 40 percent higher. So fat for the negative effects of the lack of exercising. What about the positive impact of a balanced fitness program?

The Daily Mail published on 16 Dec 2008 the following study outcome from the University of Bristol in the UK. Evaluating a group of 200 employees, they found out that:

• 72% of the employees exercising regularly reported improvements in time management on exercise days compared to non-exercise days;
• 79% of the same group said mental and interpersonal performance was better on days they exercised;
• 74% said they managed their workload better.

This represents a statistically significant difference, confirming our initial presumption. One of the main cause and effect mechanisms behind the numbers is known and simple: exercising stimulates the production of endorphin, these chemicals that are able to cross through the gaps between neurons in order to pass along a message from one to the next. When endorphins lock into special receptor cells, they block the transmission of pain signals and also produce a euphoric feeling. In simple term, increasing your  endorphin level is like receiving a blast of happiness through your body. Too much will lead to euphoria, also known as the “runner’s high” feeling.
What do you think? Let us know your personal experience.

Do you want to find out more? Check wikipedia, science.howstuffworks.com, … and have fun shaping your active lifestyle.

PS: and don’t forget to check your happiness score on www.Authentic-Happiness.com