There is a saying that the hardest part about going for a run is putting on your shoes. For me, going to the gym is the same - getting there is my greatest challenge and it’s not a physical challenge - it’s all in my head. What excuse can I summon up today?
However, after a run or a gym session, I feel like I have had a total mood transplant - who is this new Anna? I feel better about the world, more chipper and healthy.
As a society, we differentiate between mental and physical health, yet they are inextricably linked. I wonder how much of a disservice it is to our young people when we speak about them separately. That is a whole different topic.
What I do want to share is some of the physiological changes that happen in your brain when you exercise, which account for mood changes.
Ok, so what do we know? Scientists have determined that your brain has greater plasticity after exercise and reduced inflammation within the hippocampus, a part of your brain which is important for memory formation and spatial navigation. Yet scientists are only just beginning to determine why exercise has this impact. What has been found after analysis of runners’ plasma, is that certain compounds eg clusterin, are increased. These compounds signal to the brain to reduce the expression of inflammatory genes (Migiel et al., Nature 2021).
Exercise also improves the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) function and reduces cortisol levels. This reduces stress and anxiety - hence the mood shift.
On top of all that, exercise restores the balance of leptin and ghrelin in your body which are compounds associated with appetite. This can help with metabolic health and weight management.
So there you go—as soon as you exercise, your blood and brain are flooded with compounds that will make you feel better, remember more and balance your metabolic health.
You have just got to overcome the number one barrier - putting on your shoes in the first place. I have no wise advice for that one!