Exercise and mood

[sabrinamari]

I'm learning alot about manipulating myself. It's been both amusing and fruitful. Last night I did a little experiment to see how long it would take me to alter my mood so much that I would end up in a generally joyful place, after starting in generally crappy place. I found that it took about 30 minutes of post-dinner wallowing, 10 minutes of cardio warm up (I started cardio so bummed that I was wrapped up in my soft purple chenille blankie until I could get happy enough/ pumped enough to ditch it), 20 minutes of weight training, 8 minutes of stretching and about 15 minutes of cooking. So the answer to transforming my consciousness from doldrums to happiness, on my own and without outside intervention, is about 1 hour and 25 minutes or so.

Now, this was really an exercise in chemical manipulation, since both aerobic and anaerobic workouts release seratonin. I also know that I am particularly sensitive to exercise-related seratonin boosts. Still, it's easily accessible, non-toxic and free, so I'm OK with this "better living through chemistry" strategy.

All in all, this is pretty good news, especially since I started out in a reasonably bummed place to begin with, and realistically, there will be plenty of times like this in my life to come. The key seems to be to simply accept wherever I am--whatever my mood actually is at the moment---and then start there, pushing myself a little past what I think I can easily do once, twice and again. And then I just keep doing that until the chemicals start flowing.

While this might not work if I were in a major depression, it seems to work for general anxiety/sadness.

Plus, it's good for overall health. Right now many people, including me, are thinking about undoing some of damage brought on by weight gain, but the more I think about it---OK, the more I shamelessly slurp up the emotional boost of exercise---the more I think that exercise and exertion are important *mostly* because they just make you feel alive. Exercise makes you feel good, it generates happiness and it helps you feel able to handle everything that life throws you. It's like a positive mood intensifier without the crash afterwards. Now, it takes a few sessions of consistent work to get the brain connections going and start those chemicals pumping, but once it starts, it feels *literally* like you took a mood-altering drug---it's that strong.

Research shows that about 3 weeks of moderate, regular exercise is as effective as anti-depressents in treating mild depression, and my experiences suggest that's absolutely true. The hard part is getting yourself going, or getting onto the exercise machines, when you feel like such crap to begin with. If you can get past that initial drag---if you can experiment with yourself to learn how you can most effectively prod yourself into action, then you're OK.

So, more of the same tonight, followed by dinner and fun. and probably most mornings and nights, until, dammit, I get past this divorce related ickyness.

Comments

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

Thank you, my dear bunny. You are such a source of comfort for me. I really appreciate the way you accept all my body wierdness and strange, self-critical fits without making me feel even stranger about it all. Thank you.

[willowoak.livejournal.com]

We ALL have body issues, my sweet. How could we not in this society with its glorification of the very young, ultra skinny (but yet with impossibly large breasts) *ideal* figure.

But in any case, you are a fabulous and sexy woman...both inside (where it really counts) and outside as well. And whenever you need reminding, just let me know, OK? I'll be happy to give you the nudge.