Spokane Stress Busters: How regular exercise can help you beat stress.

PART THREE

Exercise is one of the best Spokane stress busters around. When partnered with a healthy diet, exercise can lower your blood pressure, increase blood flow to your brain, relax tense muscles and help you sleep. There is also good evidence that people who are in good physical shape have less extreme responses when under pressure.

In addition to the obvious physical benefits of being in good shape, research has shown that exercise can be an effective anti-depressant, and that exercise can improve the brain functioning of the elderly, and may even protect against dementia.

How does exercise improve mental health?

One theory is that exercise triggers the production of endorphins. These natural opiates are chemically similar to morphine, possibly produced as natural pain relievers in response to the shock that the body receives in exercise. Studies are being done to discover whether these natural chemicals can affect mood.

Exercise has also been found to increase levels of “brain-derived neurotrophic factor” (BDNF). This substance is thought to improve mood, and it may play a role in the beneficial effects of exercise. BDNF’s primary role seems to be to help brain cells survive longer; so this may also explain some of the beneficial effects of exercise on dementia.

The bottom line is exercise makes us feel good, and probably not because of any chemicals produced in our brains. It keeps us healthy, attractive, and helps us live longer, happier lives.

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