We’ve known for decades that when we exercise, we produce endocannabinoids, oxytocin, dopamine and serotonin, all compounds which make us feel relaxed, loving, happy and joyful. Exercise teaches the brain how to be more resilient to stress and more receptive to joy. There is an increase in dopamine, endocannabinoid and endorphin receptors. You feel joy better. Even minimal amounts of movement improve mood and have been shown to decrease depression symptoms.
An exciting relatively new discovery are myokines. Muscles are endocrine organs just like your thyroid and pancreas. They synthesize and pump out peptides and proteins which affect every system of the body. When you contract your muscles in a regular way, these compounds are released into your bloodstream. ANY kind of movement. “Myokines” basically mean “compounds set into action by motion”. Some have been shown to kill cancer cells, some reduce inflammation, others have been shown to reduce blood sugar, and improve cardiovascular health, independent of the impact exercise has on the heart and arteries.
Scientists now feel that these myokines may be the real reason that exercise is so good for overall health. It’s biggest impact however may be its impact on the brain, mood and our stress response. Not only do they act as an antidepressant, they actually change the structure of parts of your brain like the hippocampus, part of the limbic system, and plays important roles in the consolidation of information from short-term memory to long-term memory, and in spatial memory that enables navigation. It also changes the pre-frontal cortex, the region responsible for planning complex cognitive behavior, personality expression, decision making, and moderating social behaviour. The pre-frontal cortex by the way, continues to develop well into our twenties. By the way, the constant trauma from things like soccer (heading the ball), football and hockey injuries is why there are so many behavioral problems and depression associated with head injuries in sports. I’m glad my mom wouldn’t let me play hockey and made me play piano and go to Ukie school!
Originally, myokines were dubbed “hope” molecules because of how much they impact on the ability for us to deal with stress.
Although there is a dose dependent response, to a point, even minimal movement like arm movement, leg movement. Even 10 minutes of movement a day reduces all-cause mortality. Recovery from any event or disease is improved with exercise. NO EXCUSES! Movement of any kind, especially if done outdoors, has an immediate positive impact on mood.
Lastly, lack of movement makes us less compassionate and loving, things we need more than ever during these times of division and isolation. I think it was the Dalai Lama who said that “The benefits of compassion are felt as much by the giver as by the receiver”
If you want to hear a great podcast about this topic, check out the interview between Dr. Rangan Chatterjee and Psychologist Kelly McGonigal, author of “The Joy of Movement”. The link to the podcast is https://overcast.fm/+MB2-6eh7I
Stay safe and be well.
AC😎✌️🌱❤🐖🏃🏻🧘🏻♂️🌎