An Apper for All

We've heard it many times exercise relieves tension, alleviates anger, and picks you up when you're feeling down. A study cited in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness last year has shown that you don't need to be feeling down in order for exercise to pick you up. Participants were 90 female exercisers who first completed a mood evaluation and then took part in a 60-minute exercise session. The results were surprising all of the women reported enhanced mood following the exercise session, including those participants who said they felt fine in the first place. The women who felt good before exercise experienced just as much of a mood boost as those who reported feelings of depression and anxiety before exercise. This suggests that even those of us who don't think we need a mood boost can mentally benefit from physical activity. Increased energy, mental clarity, and the general high associated with exercise can be experienced by everyone not just those of us who are feeling down.