Exercise

Happiness hack:

Exercise My happiness hack was all about how exercise can improve your mood. For this, I visited Slidey Rock in Bristol (in between the Suspension Bridge and the Observatory) with my family. It’s great fun to slide down the shiny rock that’s been polished by tens of thousands of bottoms over the years and it has an incredible view. It’s a great idea for a family day out as there’s also a park very close to it and an ice cream van that visits during the day. Many studies have been conducted into the effect of exercise on mental wellbeing, with the general consensus being that an improved mood as well as reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression were observed (Ross and Hayes, 1988). Furthermore, in 1994 Paffenburger’s study found that continuous physical activity helped prevent the onset of depression. The endorphins released when one exercises have a positive affect on a person’s mental health; especially if they have a mental condition that results in them having fewer endorphins present in their synapses. Further evidence to suggest this comes from McLafferty’s 2004 study that followed participants during a 24 week resistance training program. When they followed up with the participants, they reported overall increased scores on mood tests and reduced anger, tension, and confusion. To get into exercising more it’s good to set easy to complete tasks – don’t go all out at the beginning because then you’ll lose motivation (much like when someone sets unrealistic goals for a New Years’ Resolution and then ends up giving up). Setting realistic goals and having a plan on how to accomplish them will get you into a habit of doing regular exercise.