Endorphin Junkie

by Leslie Aronson — April 20, 2008

Regular exercise can decrease your stress and anxiety levels and improve your mood. Even if exercise only provides an opportunity for escape from the daily grind or lets you take a step back and analyze a problem, its effect on your mood is, over time, remarkable. The more regularly you exercise, the more your body seems to crave it and you'll notice when you miss a day because you will, perhaps, find yourself in a bad mood that can only be fixed by hitting the trails or getting on your bike. "Runner's High," which can apply to any continuous, strenuous exercise, not just running, is a state of being achieved when the body crosses a certain threshold and endorphins are produced. Generally speaking, endorphins are released during long, continuous workouts where the intensity level is fairly high. Everyone's threshold is different, but chances are you'll know if and when you've reached that peak because the elation and optimism are unmistakable. But you don't have to be an endurance athlete to experience the stress and anxiety-relieving effects of exercise - just keep with it and you'll notice the difference.