The Three "E's": Exercise, Endorphins and Euphoria

Everyone knows that exercise has many health benefits such as increasing your fitness level and helping you lose weight.  One benefit of exercise that is often overlooked, however, is that exercise can improve your mood and give you a general feeling of well being.

Sure you may have heard that before, but how does exercise actually improve your mood and make you feel better? The answer comes from endorphins.  We define endorphins as powerful hormone-like substances produced in the brain that function as the body’s own natural painkillers.  During exercise, there is a release of endorphins in the body that are capable of producing feelings of euphoria and a general state of well being. The feelings produced can be so powerful that they can actually mask pain.

It is this relationship between exercise and the release of endorphins that may be responsible for the so-called, "runner's high," that many fitness enthusiasts experience. The good news is, you don't have to run a marathon, or run at all for that matter, to enjoy the feelings of euphoria and general well being. All it takes is moderate amounts of exercise to experience the effects. If you are new to exercise, you may actually experience a particularly strong effect as endorphins are released in the body.

Don't underestimate the effects of the release of endorphins in the body during exercise. In some cases, they can be so powerful that they can mask pain from an injury. You may have experienced this yourself. Have you ever had a sore knee during a jog, for example, that actually went away the longer you jogged? The release of endorphins during your jogging exercise is what caused that pain to go away! Pushing yourself too hard, too fast could lead to muscle sprain and endorphins released by the brain could mask that pain and lead to a serious injury so you want to be careful. It's important to listen to your body. If your knee is sore, it's sore for a reason. Don't ignore it just because it "goes away" when you exercise. Take some time off and get it checked out. The last thing you want is a serious injury.

Now that you have a basic understanding of exercise and the release of endorphins, you'll know why you feel better when you step off that treadmill or exercise bike!