Does Exercise Boost Happiness? It sure does!

Everyone knows the line “exercise gives you endorphins; endorphins make you happy, happy people just don’t shoot their husbands, they just don’t!” - Legally Blonde, and one of the most widely known quotes in movie history. (If you don’t know this quote and haven’t seen the movie, go and watch it.) There are wisdom and truth in the saying; we can exercise to boost happiness!

Have you ever felt sluggish, tired, fatigued and lacked that energy to carry on daily? Have you felt like napping every day and wake up feeling worse? A key element which may be missing is exercise. It's true that we exercise to boost happiness. For me, some days I dread doing a workout. But the habit of exercising sees me drag my butt off the couch, only to have an amazing class and leaving me in a state of happiness and euphoria.

How? Well, it's all about the science. Exercise to boost happiness is caused by neurochemicals; specifically endorphins, dopamine and serotonin.

Endorphins

Endorphins are released to block any pain signals when exercising and leave you feeling exhilarated and happy. This is why we walk out of the gym feeling like we can take on the world.

Dopamine

Dopamine is associated with decreased levels of depression and when released, acts as a pleasure chemical. When exercising, dopamine is released, making the feeling of exercising more pleasurable. If we exercise and feel those DOMS two days later, we associate them with pleasure and happiness, making us want to exercise more.

Serotonin

Serotonin increases the more we workout. With the increase of serotonin, we are provided with more energy, a happier state of mind, and the ability to think more clearly. Exercise is really the key to boost happiness!

So what exercise should we be doing? Well, that also depends on your goals and body. Whilst many experts say light exercise 20 minutes a day will suffice, many goals to lose weight and tone, strengthen and increase muscular endurance may need more/less depending on the type of person.

From my experience, I hear “I want to lose 5kg” so often. Goals such as “tone, strengthen, build a booty and lean out legs” are amongst the top ten. Depending on your goal, I can recommend Aleenta BARRE for all of them. Their classes are key to exercise to boost happiness. Whether you are looking for a class to push you to lose that weight and get in shape, or looking for an exercise to boost happiness without the hard or high intense level of exercise, Aleenta BARRE can provide a class to meet your goals/wants. Exercise should be enjoyed, not a chore.