Exercise Gives the Gift of Joy

Purposely moving our bodies continuously for 20 minutes a day - and more than is needed to meet activities of daily living - gives us joy. I was amused by the following research findings based on the behaviours of active young people: apparently when researchers in the USA and UK forced moderately active adults to become sedentary they found after one week there was a 31% decline in life satisfaction, and after two weeks they reported feeling more anxious and even hostile (Edwards & Loprinzi, 2016; Endrighi, Steptoe & Hamer, 2016). The outcome of the research is that when we don’t move our bodies, we become joyless.

Dr. Wendy Suzuki (2015) is a research scientist at New York University who completely changed her research program from studying memory to the brain-changing effects of exercise. She states with just one workout, there is an immediate release of brain neural chemicals, like dopamine, serotonin, noradrenalin, release of growth factor hormones and an immediate ability to increase attention for at least two hours (think here about the importance of recess for children and perhaps adults as well). With regular exercise the brain changes over time in the areas of anatomy, physiology, and function. Furthermore, exercise not only changes the brain but is very protective of the brain. Regular exercise results in a larger and stronger hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Both of these structures are susceptible to neurodegenerative diseases. If the person has a history of these diseases in their families, exercise could prove to be protective to them.

The Runner’s High has been described as pure joy, a spiritual experience, and the essence of pleasure. While this high has been claimed by runners, those that sustain movement participating in other sports like yoga, dancing or swimming also get high. This high comes from a release of endorphins but researchers are showing there’s also a release of endocannabinoids. It is like experiencing the effect of certain kinds of cannabis (decreased pain, slowing down of time, decreased anxiety) without the cost of buying and consuming it.

Not everyone is a runner, swimmer or cyclist, nor should they be. The key is to engage in moderate exercise (what is moderate for them) for 20 minutes. The focus needs to be on persistence and not the high. My acupuncturist stresses the importance of moderate exercise rather than high intensity exercise claiming a person loses energy if they pursue high intensity exercise and if they do not exercise, they do not create energy in the first place.

There are numerous strategies to increase time exercising from taking stairs, parking as far as possible from a destination or walking whenever possible. Two highly effective strategies to increase exercise activities are: develop an accountability strategy and play. For example, two women routinely went to a gym together. After each workout they exchanged one of their running shoes. This ensured that each would show up at the next gym session because they did not want to compromise their exercise partner. Secondly, invest some time in play.

. Play with children games like Hide and Go Seek or Kick the Can, play with friends any pick up sport like soccer, or football or take enjoyable exercise or dance classes.

Health professionals are always moving, but cannot achieve moderate sustained levels for 20 minutes at work given the need to stand, talk, chart, etc. Dr. Suzuki's approach is to start the day at home with 30 minutes of moderate exercise. She claims her brain is flooded first thing in the morning with neurochemicals which will help her all day with her memory, focus and writing. Take the time to view her Ted Talk with over 15 million views. Another excellent source is a book written by Kelly McGonigal called the Joy of Movement (2021). She integrates a number of ideas from different disciplines to prove the effect exercise has on joy creation.

Nike had it right ‘just do it’.

References

Edwards, M. K., & Loprinzi, P. D. (2016). Experimentally increasing sedentary behaviour results in increased anxiety in an active young adult population. Journal of Affective Disorders, 204, 166–173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2016.06.045

Endrighi, R., Steptoe, A., & Hamer, M. (2016). The effect of experimentally induced sedentariness on mood and psychobiological responses to mental stress. The British Journal of Psychiatry: The Journal of Mental Science, 208(3), 245–251. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.114.150755

McGonigal, K. (2021). Joy of movement. New York: Penguin Random House Inc.

Suzuki, W. & Fitzpatrick, B. (2015). Healthy brain, happy life. Harper Collins. ISBN 978-0062366788.

Wendy Suzuki: The brain-changing benefits of exercise | TED Talk