Physical education is a powerful source of energy and positive emotions. Here’s how it works.
There are many ways to deal with the blues, and among them there is just an excellent, useful method from all sides: work on the body! Sports not only improve fitness, but also strengthen mental health. As a result, the joy of life is steadily growing. But what exactly are the reasons for such a positive impact of physical activity? Here are five scientific explanations for this phenomenon.
1. Exercise causes a rush of endorphins
Humans are quite contradictory creatures. To feel good, we first need a dose of stress. When you start a workout, your body undergoes stress from exertion and releases a protein called brain neurotrophic factor. This causes the brain to release more endorphins (“joy hormones”) to compensate for the damage. That’s why you feel a rush of happiness after a workout. Endorphins are designed to minimize pain, but their side effect is a state of euphoria. And coupled with the increased production of dopamine and serotonin — hormones that are responsible for transmitting signals from neuron to neuron — the effect is achieved quite quickly.
2. After physical activity, sleep is stronger
Lack of sleep increases the risk of many diseases-from obesity to cancer. To improve the quality of sleep, in the daytime you need to give everything in full. According to the journal Clinical Sports Medicine, working out in the afternoon raises your body temperature, which decreases again around the time you need to go to bed, acting as an additional signal to the brain that it’s time to sleep.
3. Physical education energizes you
The more energy you spend, the more you get. Physical activity enriches the tissues of your body with oxygen and nutrients, which increases your energy level. It’s not for nothing that charging is so called: doing exercises, you are charged.
4. Gym visits strengthen self-esteem
Dissatisfied with your form? In the gym, you will have a wonderful transformation, both in the physiological and psychological sense. According to the Journal of Health Psychology, the release of endorphins that accompanies exercise changes the way you think: even if you don’t become an athlete, your attitude to your own body will change for the better.
5. Sports increase work productivity
Don’t get out of the office? Sports will help with that, too. According to The British Journal of Sports Medicine, those who spend more time in the gym have higher levels of creativity. In short, training allows you to put more achievements in a day. In addition, as scientists from the University of Saint Leo have found, people who exercise manage their time more effectively: they are more productive in the office and, most importantly, happier in life.