While exercise strengthens the body, heart and lungs, it also boosts your mood. New research by the University of Vermont shows that even 20-30 minutes of moderate exercise, such as walking or riding a stationary bicycle, has a significant improvement on a person's mood.
A careful study comparing active exercisers riding a stationary bicycle for 20 minutes to a similarly matched control sedentary group showed a positive improvement in their mood. Researchers discovered not only an improvement in mood immediately after exercise, but also that the effect remained for up to 12 hours.
The primary researcher summarized the findings by saying, "This goes a long way to show that even moderate aerobic exercise has the potential to mitigate the daily stress that results in your mood being disturbed." The researchers found that both men and women had a similar mood benefit from exercise and the fitness level of the participants didn't matter. In other words, even if you aren't used to exercise, when you start there are immediate benefits to your mood and how you feel.
Bottom line: Do you want to feel happy and energetic? Aim for at least 20-30 minutes of regular physical activity every day. It's good for the body and the mind.
American College of Sports Medicine Newsletter. Sept. 2009. (Study presented at the ACSM 2009 annual meeting.) |
