Exercise Is Good Food for Your Mood

March 14, 2008 — -- It's about that time of year when the sight of wool makes your skin crawl — literally.

We've been insulated by layers of clothing (and the occasional comfort food) and it's finally time to peel it all away. With spring in sight the longer days and better weather mean a renewed energy to commit to your exercise routine. Your mood may just depend on it!

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You've probably heard of "runner's high," caused by the mood-boosting endorphins (aka "feel good hormones") your brain naturally releases when you exert yourself.

To achieve that release, Pete McCall, the education manager for The Sports Club/LA suggests a workout of greater intensity, which means the amount of work or force used during your workout, and not the length of time exercising.

If you are lifting weights, McCall recommends using enough weight to fatigue by the sixth repetition. If you can do more than six, it's too light.

And for cardiovascular training he encourages intervals: 30 seconds of hard, intense work, followed by 90 seconds to two minutes of light, low intensity work.

"This will allow the body to work at a greater intensity for shorter periods rather than a lower intensity for a longer period — which can have a negative effect on the hormone system," said McCall.

Exercise is also a great way to simply clear your mind by focusing on the activity at hand; it can help you achieve a zenlike state (even if meditation isn't your thing!). It also means taking you out of your regular stress-inducing surroundings and putting you into more relaxing (or energizing) environments like a park, a hiking trail or the gym.

You'll also get a boost of confidence just knowing that you're doing something good for yourself, improving your life in some way. Combined, all of these factors help improve your mood.

Now that we've established that exercise is good food for your mood, let's take a closer look at what needs to be done and at what frequency. We turned to Geralyn Coopersmith, senior national manager of Equinox Training Institute, for the fundamentals on mood elevating exercise: