Move It Monday – Movement Improves Mood

Living in the Pacific Northwest can be rough. Little sunlight, lots of rain, lots of grey skies. LOTS of depression.

(Personally, coming from the upper midwest, I’m happy about the lack of snow and mosquitoes, so bring on the rain and clouds.)

You know I believe that movement can solve just about anything (I’m working on world peace next). It has definitively shown to reduce/alleviate pain, extends life, and facilitates weight loss.

Movement also puts you in a better mood and alleviates the symptoms of depression and fatigue.

Any movement at all is going to make you feel better (unless you are moving in to pain — rule #1: never move in to pain). This happens because movement triggers various types of receptors throughout the body — which helps wake up the body and override pain signals. It’s the same reason why I encourage you to move instead of hitting the vending machine when the mid-afternoon lull comes on.

But wait, there is more…

You can amplify that signal by working to master a physical skill. When you gain physical competence at something, you are happy about it, dopamine (a hormone) is released, and the dopamine further overrides the pain, fatigue, and depression. I’m not asking you to pick up a car or leap over tall buildings in a single bound, but take on something small. For some of my clients, it’s enough to lead with the other leg heading up the stairs. For others of you, you can:

• Go out and shoot some hoops — work on that free throw
• Go biking with the kids (particularly if you don’t do this very often)
• Take the stairs an extra floor at work

If you need more ideas, I have a post from earlier this month where I talk about training progressions. It’s exactly what I’m talking about here. It really doesn’t take much.

So, this week, UP YOUR GAME!